


Paint me a Picture

by hopecanbeyoursword



Series: one heart to another [3]
Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, F/M, Gen, Hope and Ethan are like siblings, Hope has good friends, I haven't written these characters before, I just want Hope to have nice things, Lizzie/Ethan just happened but i love them, Maya and Ethan are very protective over Hope, Maya and Ethan pretend to be dating Hope to avoid soulmate conversations, Over-protective friends, Season Two AU, i love them, nice things being friends, so they might be kind of OOC, their friendship is so much fun to write, this ended up way longer than expected
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-01-25 20:48:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 25,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21362470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopecanbeyoursword/pseuds/hopecanbeyoursword
Summary: Hope Mikaeslon is back from Malivore, only to find that her soulmate is dating someone she used to call a friend. Finding herself alone, she enrolls at Mystic Falls High, where she befriends siblings Maya and Ethan Machado. Against her better judgement, she lets them in, leading them into the world of magic. Against Hope's wishes, they help find a way to make people remember her. They succeed.Soulmate AU
Relationships: Ethan Machado & Hope Mikaelson, Ethan Machado/Lizzie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson & Lizzie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson & Penelope Park, Landon Kirby & Rafael Waithe, Landon Kirby/Hope Mikaelson, Landon Kirby/Josie Saltzman, Maya Machado & Hope Mikaelson, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman
Series: one heart to another [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1806340
Comments: 12
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

Josie knew, had known, for a long time that Penelope was her soulmate. She knew going into their relationship, and she knew it breaking it off. She also knew that Penelope didn’t know. Her family covered marks until the witch turned twenty-one. Josie wanted to see if she could be with Penelope without the weight of soulmates on her shoulders. It had gone well for a while. Josie _liked_ Penelope a lot, and thought she would be able to tell her that they were soulmates.

And then Penelope started talking about Lizzie, and no one was allowed to talk about her sister that way, even if they were right sometimes. Josie was too wrapped up in keeping her sister happy, willing to do anything, and Penelope’s words were dragging her down.

Josie broke it off, even though part of her hung on. She didn’t know how the witch could be her soulmate if she couldn’t even respect Lizzie. Josie understood that not everyone liked everyone, or got along with everyone, and that was okay. But her sister was off limits for the comments Penelope constantly made.

And then she was gone, off to another continent, and it hurt for a while to have her gone. Even after they broke up, Penelope was constantly around. Josie finally realized the Penelope only had her best interests in mind, but it was too late.

They would find each other again, once Penelope’s mark was uncovered in about five years time. Until then, Josie would have to figure herself out, and find a way to keep both her, and Lizzie, alive through the Merge.

* * *

Landon had a feeling that he once knew who his soulmate was. When he looked at his mark— a red crescent moon in front of a cloud with “_Numquam amittere spes_” underneath it—a blanket of warmth draped over him. But whoever it was, he didn’t remember. Maybe he met her when he was a child, passing through foster homes. Maybe she had been a customer at the grill before he moved away. Whoever she was, she wasn’t around anymore.

Which is why he didn’t feel _too_ guilty dating Josie Saltzman. She also had a soulmate, knew who it was. She refused to tell anyone, even Lizzie, who it was. But she didn’t want to think about her, and they had gotten close over the summer, and they fell into place with each other. It was... not necessarily easy, since they both had a lot to work through, but it was good.

It wasn't going to last forever. Josie had loved her soulmate, and part of her would always. They were meant to be. And Landon wanted to find out who his was. To actually get to know her. But until then, he was happy being with Josie. He didn't love, or trust, easily. But he had Raf back now, and he had a place at the Salvatore school, and he had Josie.

He had always been okay with the thought he wouldn't meet his soulmate. He didn't have any permanence in his life and he didn’t want to get his hopes up.

He would find her when he found her.

* * *

Hope wore thick straps of leather around her wrist to keep the mark covered. It was on the inside of her wrist, in bright orange, red, and yellow. A phoenix feather engulfed in flames. When it had first appeared, no one had any clue on what it was supposed to mean. Phoenixes were a myth.

Until they weren’t.

-/-

Hope was used to being alone. She was the only one of her kind, a hybrid of a werewolf, vampire, and witch. She didn’t really have any close family, and it took a long time to make friends. Now, no one knew she existed. She was alone in her experience.

She didn’t want to attend Mystic Falls, but it had just kind of happened. In order to be near where the action was happened, she had to stay. She couldn’t go back to Salvatore, and Dr. Saltzman was the principal at Mystic Falls now. He was safe. 

Hope stayed, going from science class to English. She liked math the most, because the numbers were constant. They never changed, and there was always one right answer. One way to do things, knowing every step to get there. Unlike her life, where there were ever-changing variables, many paths to take, and there never seemed to be a right answer. There was just a better one.

Gym class was another class Hope was good at. With her constant training at Salvatore, she was strides ahead most of her classmates, save fora few athletes. They could beat her in certain elements, but her stamina while running matched theirs. It was a good way to push herself, exhaust herself. She needed a distraction from the mess that was her life. She ignored most of her classmates, shaking them all except Maya.

The girl was determined to break through to Hope. While Hope didn’t push her away, she also didn’t let her in. She was the closest thing Hope had to an ally against the drama that was high school, but she wasn’t ready to trust anyone yet.

She found herself enjoying the human high school, more than she expected to, at least. It wasn’t a place where she fit in, but she found herself not hating the experience. It was a good place to stick around, close enough that she could help, but far away enough that she didn’t have to see everyone move on without her.

Maya sat by her at lunch, sometimes dragging her brother with her. The siblings would fill in the silence, bickering about sports, or who was doing what chore that night.

It became a normal sight to see the sheriff’s children hanging around the new girl, even if it seemed like she was ignoring them.

It was nice, to have people who wanted to be around her, Hope decided. But she didn’t want to loose them, so she continued to keep them at an arm’s distance away for a couple months.

* * *

Maya and Ethan became the closest thing she had to friends in the human world. Maya didn’t push, but she was always around in case Hope needed anything. She sat with her at lunch, filling the silence with news about what was going on at school. Maya understood that sometimes, Hope just didn’t want to talk. She took it in stride, and just filled the extra silence herself.

After their game against Salvatore, Hope had snuck into the hospital to fix Ethan’s arm. She wasn’t close to him by any means, but Maya was someone she… didn’t necessarily trust, not yet, but got along with. Hope wasn’t going to let Ethan loose his scholarship. She knew she couldn’t do anything too obvious, for fear of suspicion, but she made sure the bone would heal correctly, that anything that had been damaged would fix itself. She also sped up the process, enough that Ethan would only need two weeks off.

In another life, Hope wouldn’t have done anything like that. But she was in a world where no one knew her. She had Dr. Saltzman, to an extent. And she had Maya, who seemed to like her, and by extension, Ethan. Hope didn’t want to let herself get close to anyone that she could loose, but she wasn’t going to let their lives be ruined because of magic.

They started inviting her to do things with them, like going to movies, or getting dinner. Ethan had free time while he was healing, and Maya was able to clear time out of her schedule. It took a few tries before Hope reluctantly agreed. At that moment, there wasn’t much she could do about the monsters, or Malivore, or restoring memories, even though she wasn’t sure if she wanted to.

So she went with them to a movie, sitting in between them. She had never had a normal childhood, not with who she was, who her parents were. Hope knew if she had been born human, a life like this life would be hers. 

It wasn’t all bad, she had to admit. She liked having people who could help her navigate a human high school. They looked after her, hurling insults at those who tried to bully her. Not that Hope couldn’t handle it, but it was nice to know someone cared enough to speak up on her behalf.

She didn’t tell them much about herself, refusing to drag them into the supernatural world. They knew she was an orphan, that she was trying to figure out her place in the world. They knew she liked art, and that she could fight. That she had met her soulmate, but refused to talk about him.

One of their classmates had tried to ask Hope about her mark. Why she covered it, had she met them yet, and if she had, what were they like. The questions made her uncomfortable. Her hands clenched at her sides, and she fought to keep her magic from seeping out. Luckily, Ethan had been walking by at the time. He had stepped up to her, slinging his good arm around her shoulder. He gently pulled her towards him, in a way that Hope allowed. It had been a few months since she had first met him, and she trusted him just enough to help her in the current situation.

“You ready to head out?” He looked at her, ignoring the girl in front of them.

Hope could only nod, focusing on keeping her magic contained. She was not going to risk revealing the existence of magic and the supernatural. She let her friend lead her down the hallway and out the doors to where Maya was waiting for them.

“Thanks,” Hope tried to smile at Ethan once she could hear something other than her heart pounding. Any time anyone asked her about her soulmate, she shut down. Maybe if she hadn’t met, loved, and lost him to her friend the way she had, it would be different. She couldn’t brush it off by saying she didn’t know him, or that he had died. They had loved each other, and now he had no memory of her. And he looked _happy_ with Josie. Hope didn’t want to ruin that for either of them. They were there for each other over the summer, when no one else was.

Hope would shut herself out from both of their lives as long as she had to, even if it was forever. They weren’t soulmates, so they might not last, but she knew they weren’t going to break up anytime soon.

“You good?” Ethan asked, voice softer than usual. He was a more loud, outspoken individual than Hope usually associated herself with. So was Maya, but in a different way. But somewhere between the game against Salvatore and Ethan’s healing, and Hope and Maya partnering up for their semester project in English, they became friends.

“I’ll be okay.” Hope pressed her lips together to keep herself from indicating differently. “It’s just a sensitive topic for me. Thank you. For the save.”

“Anytime,” Maya declared. “You can count on us.”

And Hope found herself doing just that. She sat with them at lunch, occasionally got coffee or dinner with them. She did homework with them, normal, human homework, not History of Magic or anything of that sort. She slept over at their house, occasionally sneaking out to run in the woods in her werewolf form. They were friends.

They also helped her out when asked about soulmates. The first time, it had been Ethan. Another time, it had been Maya who sidled up to her, intertwining their fingers. Hope held onto her friends hand, her calming presence grounding her magic.

Most of the school believed Hope was dating one of the siblings, but no one could figure out who. One moment, Ethan had his arm around her, the next, Maya was holding her hand. None of them bothered to correct anyone.

It was a normal life, one where she found herself distancing herself from her magic, turning into a werewolf less and less, even though she kept one of her rings on her at all times. She still worried about monsters, and Malivore, and Salvatore. But she was able to think about other things now, too.

It was easy, and normal, until it wasn’t.

* * *

A monster came after them.

Another dragon. It found Hope walking home from school, heading to meet her friends. She had stayed after, working on an art project, promising to meet them in an hour.

Fifty-two minutes later, and Hope had to run into the woods. She tried to fight it the same way she had in the past, but this time, she was alone. She had almost defeated it when she heard Maya and Ethan calling out for her.

Hope swore under her breath, before starting to move quicker. She had to get rid of the dragon before her friends found her.

But it was too late.

Maya and Ethan saw the dragon, watched as Hope, who had no other choice, use her magic. Hope ignored them until the dragon had been defeated, and even then, tried to walk past them without answering any questions.

But they were persistent, and kept asking her questions, day after day, until she gave in. She had been tempted to have Dr. Saltzman call MG to compel them. It would be the right thing to do. But she was tired of being alone. Just as she had started opening up to her classmates, started to call them friends, she was erased from their memories. Even Dr. Saltzman, while believing her story, didn’t know her anymore. Maya and Ethan were always there, had never forgotten her because they hadn’t known she existed before she started going to Mystic Falls. They were earnest in their attempts getting to know her, persistent in a way people usually weren’t.

Hope had found that she had come to trust them.

So she finally gave in. She told them as little as she could. She told them she had magic, that there were bad creatures out there, but there were also good. She told them that she would protect them if a monster showed up, because they had earned her trust. She also told them that if she wasn’t around and they needed help to go to Dr. Saltzman. But Hope didn’t tell them about Malivore, or Salvatore, or that she was a tribrid, or that no one remembered her, or about Landon. All that, she kept a secret.

She kept her secrets close to her, until eight more months had passed, she had completed an entire year at Mystic Falls, and she couldn’t hide it anymore. She was going to be spending a lot of her summer at Salvatore, as it was the safest place for her. They had two weeks left of school, which meant all of her former classmates would be there.

Maya had invited her to join her family on their weekend vacation. The entire family loved Hope. She had agreed, somewhat hesitantly. The whole event was domestic in a way she had never experienced before.

She had been out on the dock with the two siblings at night, looking up at the moon. They had a few bottles of beer and cider with them. Their mom had allowed them on the condition that they be smart, and that she would be right inside to make sure they followed through.

“She may be the sheriff, but she’s still our mom,” had been Maya’s explanation.

“So, Hope.” Ethan plopped himself down on Hope’s other side, gently knocking his shoulder against hers. “Any fun plans for the summer?”

She shook her head. “Nope. I’m going to spend time researching monsters, but that’s about it.”

Maya’s head shot up, interested in what her friend was saying. “Is there a place you can do that? Is there a school? Why aren’t you there, then? Not that I don’t love having you here, but is there a magic school?”

Hope hesitated, before nodding her head. “There is. I use to go there, but there was a whole thing last year with a monster, and uh…” She choked out a laugh. It still hurt to think about it, even with the good things she had now. “They don’t remember me anymore. I was erased from their memories, from existence. I don’t really belong there anymore. But I’m going to be spending my summer there. It’s one of the only safe places for someone like me. I can do research, maybe find a way to fix what happened. I’m not getting my hopes up that they’ll ever remember me, but there’s other damage I left behind when I was gone for a while. I have to set it right.”

Maya and Ethan were silent, taking in what their friend had told them.

“Salvatore?” Ethan asked quietly. “I know that’s where Principal Saltzman used to work, and you said he could help us with monsters. That’s no coincidence, is it?”

“No. He… before he forgot I existed, he was the closest thing to a father I had. He doesn’t remember that, or me, but he believes me. It’s more than I can ask for.”

“Is…” Ethan fumbled over his words. “Everyone not remembering you. Does that include your soulmate?”

Hope sucked in a breath. She stared at the bottle in her hands, focusing on the sound of the water. Landon was the most painful topic to think about it, but she was tired of bottling it up. She nodded. “His name is Landon. Before everything, we were together. We loved each other. I still do. But he doesn’t remember me anymore. He’s moved on. To Josie. They’re happy together.”

“Can I—” Maya gestured towards Hope’s wrist. With Hope’s consent, Maya ran her fingers across the brown leather, before gently undoing the fastening. She peeled it away, revealing the feather surrounded by flames. “Is he… supernatural?”

Hope nodded. “He’s not like the rest. We have three main groups. Witches, werewolves, and vampires. I’m all three. He’s… none of them. The monster that erased me from everyone’s memories can do that to anything. There are a lot of monsters and magical beings we thought were only myths because of that. They’re not. Landon is a phoenix. The first time he… died… We all thought it was for good. I can’t… It’s hard to describe what it’s like to have your soulmate dead in front of you. But he’s _alive _and happy. That’s what matters."

“Your happiness matters, too.” Maya sighed, as she shifted. “I wish we could go with you. When you go back to your old school.” Maya leaned her head against Hope’s shoulder. “You shouldn’t be going through this alone.”

“I’m used to it,” Hope shrugged one shoulder, not wanting to disturb her friend. “I’ve been doing a lot on my own for a while.”

“You’re more than capable,” Ethan interjected. “But that doesn’t mean you should have to."

Hope tried to smile. “Can we not talk about this anymore? This was supposed to be a fun weekend.”

They agreed hesitantly, letting Hope steer the conversation back into safe topics, like what they were planning on doing over the summer, and what movies they liked.

An hour and a couple bottles later, they were laughing, laying down on the dock and looking up at the stars, like there was nothing in the world holding them back

* * *

Hope hesitated outside of Dr. Saltzman’s office, before knocking on the door before she could decided against it. Even though school was out for the summer, she knew she could find him there.

“Come in.”

She walked in, going slowly. She didn’t know how to approach the situation. It was all new to her. She wasn’t used to asking for help like she was going to. She had become used to doing things on her own.

“Hi, Hope. What can I help you with?” He set down the papers he was looking at.

“I… uh… Do you still talk to Dorian?”

“Yes. Why do you ask?”

“I wanted to… to see if Maya and Ethan could come with me to Salvatore for a few days this summer? They know about me, and the school. I trust them not to say anything. I just… I need help. I can’t do this on my own anymore. I’m tired of it.” She tried to keep her voice from cracking, not used to being that open. “And I know it’s kind of against the rules, but they know. They can help! I just…” Hope’s shoulders dropped as she admitted something she never thought she would. “I feel lost. No one knows me. They’re my only friends, and they keep me going. I don’t feel so alone when I’m with them. Please.”

Dr. Saltzman sighed. “I’ll see what I can do.” From what little he had been told, he knew it was rare for Hope to share anything with anyone. It was good to see that she had found people she could trust, even if they were humans.He didn’t have much pull left at Salvatore, but he could try and talk to Dorian. The man was his friend, even after all the bumps in the road. He would believe Hope’s story. After all, he had seen and lived weirder things.

“Thank you,” Hope nodded. “For everything. Especially for believing in me, when no one else would. It means a lot.”

He smiled softly at her. He might not remember her, but he knew that when she said he was the closest thing to a father figure she had, that she was also like his daughter, alongside the twins. He hoped she would find a way to restore the memories of those at Salvatore so she wouldn’t loose them like she had a lot of people.

“Always.”

* * *

Two days later, Hope called Maya and Ethan to meet her outside the school. She sat on a bench that was hidden from view, behind trees and bushes. It was where she went when she needed a little time to herself. If she was there, her friends both knew not to bother her, that they could try and help once she left. The bench was the safest place she had in the human world, with the help of a little spell. No one could find her if she didn’t want them to. Only her friends, and Dr. Saltzman, knew that the bench was there and that Hope could often be found there. Today was one of the only times she let them in.

Once she was sure no one was around to overhear her, she told them the news. “Dr. Saltzman talked to Dorian. He works at Salvatore. The new headmaster is… not great, but Dorian said I could bring you two every once in a while to help out. Honestly, I think Dr. Saltzman is just glad that I’ve made friends. We have to be careful to avoid the headmaster, but we have access to resources. I’ve been spending free time there this semester as much as I could, but it’s easier with more than one person.”

“Yes!” Maya was excited that she was going to be able to go to a school full of magic, and learn some history. As well, she would be going with her friend, one of the strongest beings. She was a tribrid, She wasn’t a vampire yet, but she could be. “I’m gonna glare at Landon and Josie any time I see them together. Because that’s what friends do.”

“Like that’s going to be subtle,” Ethan snorted.

“I’m not trying to be,” Maya clarified. “They’re just going to have to wonder why.”

“So,” Hope cut her off. “Are you guys free Friday? We can meet here at noon, then go over. Salvatore is still in school for about another week, so we should be able to have most of the library to ourselves.”

“Should be fine. Mom just needs us home Thursday night, but the weekend should be free. Anything we should bring?”

Hope shook her head. “Not really. Just anything you might want with you for the day. We need to be focused, but I can try and show you around, as long as we can avoid the new headmaster. I have an excuse of why I’m there, but you guys won’t. And I’d rather avoid him, anyways.”

“Be sneaky. Got it,” Maya nodded her head. “Meet right here Friday?”

“Yes,” Hope confirmed. “Best not be late, or I’ll go without you.” She raised an eyebrow in challenge. She was only partly kidding, and they knew it.

“See you Friday.”

* * *

Friday came, and the three teenagers were driven to Salvatore by Dr. Saltzman. Dorian was waiting at the gate to let them in, smiling awkwardly at Hope. He knew her story, but not her.

“Alright. I assume you don’t need me to find what you’re looking for. But I’ll be in my office if you need help.”

“Thank you, Dorian.” Hope was sincere. She trusted the man, and was thankful for his help.

She led her friends towards the front doors. She pushed them open, greeted to the sight of busy hallways. Class had just finished, and everyone was likely going to lunch. As the door shut, everyone turned to look at who just came in.

Hope was good at avoiding looks people gave her. She was an outsider now, at Salvatore. She also had two humans with her. They walked in during finals week, heading straight through the school to the gardens outside. Hope didn't falter in her steps, ignoring the way her friends were staring at everything. She would explain it later, when everyone else was in class.

She didn’t want to go to the library just yet, knowing that Josie would likely be there, researching the Merge. Which meant Landon would most likely be there, helping her.

After the hour had passed, spent by showing her friends around the grounds, Hope led them to the library. She didn’t know exactly what to look for, since as far as anyone knew, she was the only one to come back from Malivore. Hope knew Seylah had, but no one remembered that anymore. Dr. Saltzman once knew, since she had told him, but when she was erased from the collective mind, so was Seylah.

Using the search function, Hope found books that might help. She passed some out to each of her friends, and they spread out over a large table. Hope didn’t take her eyes off the books, but she could tell that her friends were starting to get tired after a while. Ethan especially, as he had a hard time of focusing on large sections of texts after too long.

“Alright, want to take a break? I can show you around a little.”

“Yes, thank you,” Ethan groaned. He was face down on the table.

* * *

Hope could occasionally be seen around Salvatore, a guest of Dorian who was working with Dr. Saltzman to figure out who she was, and how to restore their memories of her. Most humans weren’t allowed for extended periods of time on their grounds, unless for a special occasion, Hope always seemed allowed to break the rules.

The school knew that she was one of them, in some way. It didn’t make her any less intriguing or suspicious, but they could trust her to keep the supernatural world secret. But one day, she had walked through the gates, with two people, one on each side. They were introduced as Maya and Ethan, before the three went down to the dock.

No one approached them, but they drew curious looks. The students recognized them from the game they played against each other. The boy whose arm Josie broke, and the girl who could give any guy a run for their money. It was for those reasons Josie stayed clear of the trio, which meant so did Landon.

But curiosity did get the better of him. He would peer out the window, watching the three of them at the spot that brought him a sense of security. He was the only one who watched Hope demonstrate magic for them, saw how they didn’t react. Like they had seen it before.

Which definitely took the phoenix by surprise. He didn’t know Hope very well, nothing past her name and what little they were told about her presence, but she didn’t seem like someone to trust easily. If she was allowing Ethan and Maya to know about magic, they had to be trustworthy.

Landon wondered if one of them was her soulmate. That could explain why she told them she had magic. The siblings seemed willing to follow her anywhere.

“I don’t like them being here.” Josie came across her boyfriend watching the three sitting at the dock. “Why should we trust them? Or her?” Her arms were crossed against her chest. She was uncomfortable with the three of them, and tried to avoid them at every turn. Especially Ethan, since she felt guilty about what she did to him. She was glad he was healed, something she guessed “Little-Miss-Milkshake” had helped with, but she stayed away because she know Hope had to have known it was her. Even though Hope hadn’t been on the field at that point, her dad had seen, and it seemed like Hope had gotten him to trust her.

“I trust Dorian on this,” Landon shrugged. “He trusts your dad, and he trusts her. Your father may have kept secrets from us before, but this is not something I think he would lie about. I know I didn’t defeat Malivore on my own. Hope might have a key to understanding what happened. She turned Raf back from wolf form. She can’t be all bad.”

Josie scoffed. “Whatever. I still don’t trust, or like her.” Josie knew jealousy wasn’t not a pretty thing on her, but she couldn’t help it. She had loved Penelope, and then broke up with her. She finally managed to move on, when Hope came wandering into their lives, distracting her boyfriend. Even though Josie knew her relationship with Landon wouldn’t last forever, whether because of the Merge, or her and Penelope getting back together, she wasn’t ready for it to end yet. “Or her friends. They don’t seem to like us, so I’m assuming Hope said something to them.”

“Why would she do that?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t care.” Josie turned on her heel, signaling the end of the conversation. “I better get to class.”

* * *

“That is him, right?” Maya glanced over to where Landon and Josie were sitting with Lizzie, who’s head was in a book, and MG, who was saying something to the blonde twin. “I want to make sure I’m glaring at the right person. I met his friend Raphael, and he told me that was Landon.”

“Yeah, that’s him. Can you not?” Hope hissed, trying to direct her friend’s attention away from them.

“Who’s that with them?” Ethan was looking at Lizzie and MG.

“Uh, that’s Lizzie, Josie’s twin. And our-_their_ friend MG. He’s a vampire. They weren’t that close last year. Guess that’s changed.”

While Hope was telling Ethan about her former classmates, Maya stood up, walking over to where the twins were.

“Hey, Josie,” Maya’s voice was strong.

“Can I help you?” Josie looked up, unimpressed.

“Yeah, actually. I know all about you. And your boyfriend here. You might not remember anything, but I know what you’ve forgotten. When you finally get your memories back, I’m not going to forgive you.”

“Maya!” Ethan hissed. “Get back here or I swear…”

“My brother needs me,” Maya smiled. “Have fun, you two.”

By the time Maya got back to the table, Hope was gone.

“Where’d she go?” Maya asked her brother.

“She didn’t want to be around when you made a scene. Shocker, huh? Just… she left in case they tried to corner her. We’re here with Hope. She will be held accountable for our actions. She doesn’t want to upset Josie. She’s still hurting, Maya. She just doesn’t want to make it worse.”

Maya sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. I just… I know they don’t remember, but they hurt her. You know I’m not just going to let that go.”

“Just keep it more subtle, hm?”

“Yeah, yeah. Now, let’s go find our girl.”

* * *

Lizzie was the first one to remember.

No one had any idea _why_, but she did. She woke up in the middle of the night, having spent the night reliving memories that she had forgotten. Her eyes flew open. Hope’s full name was on the tip of her tongue.

Immediately, Lizzie ran out of bed, hurrying dow the hall to where she knew Hope was staying for the night, along with her friend Maya. Ethan was on the couch in Dorian’s room, which was on the ground floor. She banged on the door, waiting until she heard stirring inside before shoving the door open.

“Hope Andrea Mikaelson. I remember you.”

“What the hell—” Maya began, annoyed at being woken up at three in the morning. She was crabby when she didn’t get enough sleep.

“Lizzie? What do you mean by that?” Hope was up in an instant. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes, ignoring her friend sitting up next to her.

“I don’t know. I was dreaming, and all of a sudden, you were _everywhere_ and, boy, was that annoying. I mean, seriously. Why are you everywhere? Whatever. I remembered your name, and you being at Salvatore, and how Josie and I used to be jealous of you, and fighting monsters with you. You…” Lizzie paused, eyes widening. “You and Landon were _in love_. That’s going to break Josie’s heart.”

“That’s why she’s not going to know,” Hope cut the blonde off. “Neither of them are. Let them be happy with each other.”

“It’s not going to last, you know. I love Josie, but the hobbit is not her soulmate. He’s yours.”

“I’m not getting in the way of their happiness. If they find out, it’s going to be because everyone remembers.”

“Please, Hope.” Lizzie rolled her eyes. “Stop being the martyr. You two were _literally_ made for each other. Josie has her own soulmate, and I know that when she’s ready, that’s what she’s going to want. She wasn’t ready earlier.” Lizzie knew her twin knew who her soulmate was, but Josie refused to tell anyone.

“Lizzie, no. I am not going to ruin anything else. If they remember, they remember. And you said it yourself. We’re soulmates. We’ll find our place again, even if it’s just friends.”

“I’m with Lizzie on this,” Maya spoke up. “Get your soulmate back.”

Hope threw up her hands in frustration. “I’m not going to get through to either of you, am I?” She watched as her they shook their heads. “Then stay here at talk about it with each other, hm? I’ll be down by the lake.”

Hope left, making her way quickly and quietly towards the lake. She and Landon had done it a few times. She was slightly worried he was doing the same with Josie at that exact time, but she found herself alone as she arrived.

She spent the rest of the night there.

* * *

Josie frowned as she watched her sister walk past her, choosing to sit with Hope instead. Lizzie had started spending more time with the tribrid, making references to things Josie didn’t understand. She was concerned about her sister’s mental health, as Lizzie was recounting events that happened, but as if Hope had also been there. And Hope wasn’t correcting her, which made Josie mad at the girl. Hope was letting Lizzie believe.

However, Josie didn’t want to confront her. Not yet. Hope’s friends were always around her, and they were what was keeping her back.

She tried to find a time where Hope was alone, but on the days she came by, she was either with Lizzie, or her human friends came.

Hope was pretty much living at Salvatore now, but she left some nights. Whether it was to wherever she was managing to live when attending Mystic Falls High, or with her friends, Josie didn’t care.

The tribrid was letting Lizzie believe that they knew her, and she was also a threat to her relationship with Landon. There was something between the two, even when Landon told Josie that he loved her.

They didn’t know each other’s marks, choosing to hide them. They didn’t want the marks to influence their relationship. Landon knew Josie knew who her soulmate was. He had no idea who his was, but recently, he seemed a little more evasive about it.

Josie was determined to figure it out.

* * *

Lizzie, Maya, Ethan, and Hope were down at the docks. The sun was shining on them as they let their feet dip into the lake. It was the end of summer, with only one more week of freedom in front of them. They had gotten a lot of research done after the Salvatore school year finished. Lizzie had stayed in Mystic Falls for the majority of the summer to help, spending a couple weeks with Caroline when she needed it.

May and Ethan would be going back to Mystical Falls. Hope would be splitting her time between the human school and Salvatore, which meant Lizzie would have at least one of her close friends around often enough. 

“You guys have to come visit me,” Lizzie declared. “No one else here gets me like you do. And I cannot stand being around my sister and her boyfriend for more than a few minutes at a time.” She felt that way partly because she didn’t like that much PDA in front of her, partly because she wished she had her soulmate around, and partly because of her friendship with Hope.

“Gladly,” Maya responded. “Mystic Falls only has so much excitement. Plus, you guys have a lake. It’s still summer, and the pool gets pretty crowded.”

“Speaking of it still being summer, it’s too hot out here,” Ethan complained, pushing his sleeves up. 

“Then get in the water,” Maya rolled her eyes. 

He made a face at her, before pulling his shirt off. He stood up, ready to jump in, when he was stopped by Lizzie.

“Is that… your soulmate mark?” She was staring at the mark on his shoulder. In a deep crimson, ink, there was the symbol of the Gemini coven, surrounded by lavender flowers.

“Yeah. I don’t know what it means, but I’ve always liked it.” He shrugged, trying to figure out why the blonde wasn’t taking her eyes off of him.

“Hope,” Lizzie said slowly. "I'm not seeing things, am I?”

"No," she replied, equally shocked. “I was… I was not expecting this.”

“Will someone tell me what's going on?" Maya interrupted them.

“Ethan's mark,” Hope gestured towards it, knowing Lizzie was still processing. “That symbol is for the Gemini coven. A group of witches, known for their twins, like Lizzie and Josie. Lavender flowers, also known as Lizzie’s favorite color and flower. Which means…”

“You're my soulmate,” Ethan blinked at the blonde witch. She stared back at him, fingers hovering over his mark.

“Maybe we should let them have some time alone.” Hope grabbed Maya’s hand, pulling her up. “We’ll, uh, catch up with you guys later.”

Neither Lizzie or Ethan responded, too busy staring at each other. They never would have guessed they would be each other’s soulmate. It took them time to become friends, as their personalities clashed with each other’s until they started to understand each other.

Lizzie had never pictured her soulmate as a human, but she was glad it ended up being Ethan. They had gotten to know each other over the summer. She helped him with training, sometimes using magic to do so, and he helped her calm down when her emotions wanted to spiral out of control.

Ethan was glad that his soulmate was someone as strong as Lizzie was. The witch had been through a lot, and was still going, even when she didn’t want to. She was smart, and cunning, and once she let someone in, was extremely loyal and devoted. Not many people tried to see her past what she let the world see, but Ethan, Maya, and Hope were three of the lucky ones.

“Well, soulmate,” Ethan smiled at her softly. Even though they were already friends, discovering they were soulmates was like meeting again for the first time. “It’s nice to meet you. I think this is going to work out well.”

“I do, too.”

* * *

“How _dare_ you!” Lizzie stormed into the room she shared with her sister, not caring that Josie and Landon were curled up together.

“Whoah, what’s this all about?” Landon asked, shooting out of bed.

“Calm down, Lizzie.” Josie raised her hands placatingly.

“No, I will not calm down. Don’t tell me what to do. Especially since you hurt my soulmate and nearly ruined his future!” Lizzie was fuming. She had been upset enough after Ethan became her friend, but to know he was her soulmate was completely different. She had spent the past couple hours with Ethan, both of them asking each other questions to understand each other more. It wasn’t hard to find that they both liked each other. The whole time they had been together after discovering the truth, they had been holding hands, neither wanting to let go.

“What do you mean?”

“You broke his arm! With magic! He’s only okay because Hope was there. I cannot believe you would use black magic to hurt anyone. And yeah, maybe then, Ethan was just a stranger, but now he’s more than that. It wasn’t okay then, and it’s worse now. So please, do us both a favor, and stay away from him.”

Lizzie didn’t wait for her twin to respond, deciding to leave instead. Her friends, and her soulmate, were waiting for her.

* * *

Josie didn’t know how to feel about the fact that Lizzie met her soulmate. Ethan was a human, who was extremely loyal to Hope. Josie still didn’t trust the tribrid. Also, Josie felt bad that she hurt Ethan, even though he was okay now. But she was happy that Lizzie found her other half.

She hadn’t spoken to Ethan yet. It seemed he also avoided her, or at least, didn’t go out of his way to talk to her. He almost glared at her whenever she was with Landon.

So she acted the same back. He was her twin’s soulmate, so she would give him the benefit of the doubt, but he would have to earn her trust. That would be hard, as school was getting ready to start up again, and Ethan went to Mystic Falls with his sister, and the rest of them went to Salvatore. Hope, too, would be attending Salvatore for the new year, at least, part time. She was still keeping up her appearances by attending Mystic Falls, but she was busy doing so much research at Salvatore, that she was enrolled as a part-time student so she could access resources without hassle.

Josie was looking forward to the school year. She had a lot planned, there were exciting things she would get to learn, and the humans and Hope would be gone most of the time. Seemed like the perfect time to take her relationship with Landon to the next level, or at least, find out what his mark was.

She had plans to make.

* * *

“Ethan Machado to the principal’s office. Ethan Machado to the principal’s office.”

Hope had snuck into the principal’s office upon getting a message from Lizzie. The blonde was starting to spiral, and she needed someone who understood her. Josie was always busy, so the blonde didn’t turn to her as much anymore.

Hope paced impatiently during the two minutes it took her friend to make it to the office. As soon as she heard him outside, she flung open the door before he could knock.

“What’s wrong?”

“Just come with me. You’re needed at Salvatore.” Hope dragged Ethan out of the building, knowing that if she got caught, she could use magic, or convince Dr. Saltzman to not give her or Ethan detention. After all, they were going to help his daughter.

Hope used her magic to get them to Salvatore in three minutes, bypassing the gate through a loophole that was made so she could get in and out with her friends when needed. It was only set to her biometrics, so no one else could try and impersonate her;

“Lizzie’s in here.” Hope stopped in front of a door. “Raphael has some trust for me, so I made sure he evacuated as many people as possible. MG helped, too. Lizzie’s not inherently dangerous, but she doesn’t like people seeing her weak. Go in. I’ll make sure no one bothers you.”

Ethan nodded, knowing it was best not to argue. Hope only had Lizzie’s best interest in mind, and Ethan knew his soulmate needed someone to help her. He opened to door, spotting Lizzie who was leaning against a windowsill, tears welling in her eyes. He moved closer, making sure she could see and hear him before touching her. He didn’t want to startle her.

Ethan gently grabbed Lizzie’s hand, squeezing it tightly. He pulled her body towards him, wrapping his arms around her shaking shoulders.

She struggled against him for a minute, her magic surging. The books and silverware around them began to deviate a few inches in the air, before they clattered back down down. She let the tears fall, releasing her anger and sadness in healthy way.

Hope had taken her cue, ushering away the few students left in the room, and putting up a protection spell to give them privacy. She blocked Josie from entering, which upset the brunette twin,.

“She's my sister, not yours! She needs someone who knows how to handle her outbursts.”

“_Ethan_ knows how to help her. Listen to yourself! You say ‘handle’ her, like she’s uncontrollable or a wild animal. She’s a person, Josie. Your sister. This is why I’m not letting you in. Ethan has it under control. You have been distant with each other, and you haven’t been helping her this summer. Lizzie deserves better.”

Josie looked offended, but as before she could retort, Hope left the hallway. The tribrid ignored the brunette’s attempts to corner her, knowing that even if Josie managed to track her down, she still wouldn’t be able to get in the room unless both Ethan and Lizzie told Hope to take the spell down.

Josie didn’t like that she couldn’t get in to see her sister. It might have been true that she and Lizzie had gotten more distant with each other, but they were still family. Knowing that her dad was somewhere in the school, having taken a few hours off work to do research with Dorian, she went looking for him.

She didn’t get how Hope and Ethan had been allowed in. Even though Ethan was Lizzie’s soulmate, didn’t mean he couldn’t hurt her. Josie herself had been hurt by Penelope. She had to protect her sister.

“Dad! Did you know Hope and Ethan snuck onto campus? You’re supposed to watch your students. Did you ever think they might be up to something?”

“Josie! I’m great, thanks for asking. No, I didn’t, but I trust them. They’re good for Lizzie. With you busy all the time, Lizzie needs someone there for her. That doesn’t mean she cares about you any less, but she can’t always do things on your schedule. Ethan is a good balance for her. I have no problems with the two of them, or Maya, coming to help your sister. They’re allowed here, as long as Hope is present.”

Josie understood what her dad was saying, but she didn’t love it. She used to always be the one there for Lizzie. Even after they started to put some distance between them, knowing how codependent they were, part of her missed it. It was nice, knowing that someone needed her. And now Lizzie didn’t seem to need her anymore.

Josie knew it was what she wanted, but it didn’t feel like it anymore.

* * *

The beginning of November came faster than expected. It had been over a year since Hope came back from Malivore. She had spent the majority of it doing research, and figuring out what she needed in life.

And on November eighth, Hope, Lizzie, Maya, Ethan, Dorian, and Dr. Saltzman found the answer.

An assembly was called the following day. Every student and teacher was in attendance, waiting for Lizzie to step up. She was going to be leading the assembly. Her dad wasn’t an employee anymore, and the new principal didn’t like them. Luckily, he was out for the day, due to reasons he wasn’t disclosing to them, so it was now or never.

Lizzie stepped forward, looking calm and composed. Despite that, she was nervous. Her life wouldn't change much, since she had all her memories back. But her friends… Josie, and Raphael, and even Landon. They would likely be upset that she had kept everything from them. They were aware Lizzie knew things that they didn’t, and had for a while. Clearing her throat, Lizzie shoved her worries aside for the moment. “We are here today to listen to Hope, to fill in the blank spots in our memories. We have… solved an issue that arose without our knowledge. In less than an hour, you should be getting memories back. They might change how we live, but we need to know. So… Hope Mikaelson.” 

Hope stepped forward when Lizzie gestured for her to. She stood in front of the witches, werewolves, vampires, and others, who had been her classmates for years. Everyone had once known her, and now they didn’t. It was only thanks to Lizzie’s memory being restored, and the notebook that Penelope had given Josie. It had been left behind, hidden when Dr. Saltzman burned everything he could find on Hope.

Only the notebook survived, full of details on everyone who ever walked the halls of the school. Including the songs Landon had written for Hope. However, the tribrid had taken it before anyone could properly look through it. It was hidden in a chest of her things, under her bed, spelled to only be accessed by her.

“I… jumped into Malivore last year,” Hope began. “I used to go here. And now, almost no one remembers. Dr. Saltzman trusted me, Maya and Ethan believed me, but only Lizzie remembered. But… you guys need to know. To understand what’s coming, and what has to be done to stop Malivore once and for all. I didn’t want to tell you. It’s going to change a lot when the memories come back, and I didn’t want to mess anything up. You’re _happy_,” she glanced at where Josie and Landon were sitting, hands intertwined. “I’m sorry.”

She stepped away from the podium, where Lizzie was waiting to comfort her.

“Let’s get out of here, hm?” The blonde led her friend out of the room. “The memories will kick in soon. Maya and Ethan are waiting for us.”

They made their way silently up to Hope’s room. Lizzie never expected to be this close with Hope. She had used to hate her, partly due to Josie’s lies, and partly due to the fact her dad was always with her. But now, Lizzie almost considered Hope her best friend. It helped that the tribrid introduced her to her soulmate. Lizzie had been skeptical upon first meeting the human, but now, she was happy with him. Because of Hope, he understood her world: the magic, and the monsters. But he was human, something that was refreshing after spending so much time with supernaturals. He helped her when she felt overwhelmed by her mental illness, and despite him groaning about homework, he helped her at every free moment to research the Merge.

Lizzie didn’t like discussing him with her sister, since Josie was still guilty over breaking his arm and almost ruining his future. Lizzie also didn’t like thinking about her twin using black magic, so a rift between them began to form. Josie got closer with Landon, and a couple other witches, while Lizzie got closer with Hope, Maya and Ethan.

In some ways, it was healthy. They had been too codependent, pushing and pulling at each other until they were ready to break. They needed to figure out who they were without each other, and finding out about the Merge pushed them to do it.

The blonde was finally in a place where she felt comfortable with herself. There were still bad days, and there always would be. But it was easier to control her emotions, and the loud, screaming thoughts that echoed in her head at night, but she had ways to release any anger she had. Ethan had become a calming presence to her. He wasn’t around as much as she wished he could be, since he had a family that wanted him around, and he went to a different school, but he came when he could. His mom knew that he had met his soulmate at Salvatore, but they were keeping magic a secret from her until they had to tell her. It was dangerous enough that her children knew.

So when Lizzie first met his human friends and family, she was very careful to not accidentally siphon magic from anything, or have anything around her float when her emotions went out of control. It would have been hard a few months ago, but with Hope and Ethan’s help, it was easier.

Lizzie was still unsure about some of Ethan’s friends, since she had only briefly met them. But she liked his family a lot. She already knew Maya, which made the experience much easier. She was an outsider in many ways, most not visible to an outside eye. They embraced her, though, and she knew they would be good to have in her life. 

Her life had taken a path she never would have imagined. It took Hope being erased from their memories to do so, but now she was back, too. Even though Josie was more distant than ever, she was still alive. Lizzie hadn’t lost anyone, gaining friends, and a soulmate, instead.

* * *

The crowd dispersed, murmuring to each other. No one knew how they would personally be affected, and how their lives would change.

Landon split off from the group with Josie, who was watching her sister leave the room. He watched the blonde, too, wondering how their lives had come to this point. It took him a few minutes to realize his girlfriend was talking to him.

“I’ll meet you in my room?” Josie asked. “I just want to find my dad quickly.”

Landon smiled half-heartedly. “Yeah, see you there.” He turned and walked away before Josie could call him out on it. Landon knew that the gaps in his memories were going to be filled soon. He didn’t know how it was going to change anything, but Hope had looked at him when she apologized.

He wanted to be alone when his memories came back. He paced back and forth waiting for them to return. He ran his fingers over the frames of the beds as he did so, frustrated that it was taking so long.

And then he remembered.

He was frozen, standing in the middle of the twins’ room, memories flooding back to him. It felt like he was getting hit like a freight train. He remembered why peanut butter blast, whipped cream on the bottom milkshakes were important. He remembered dancing with Hope, before he knew about the supernatural world. He remembered why he had the bracelet that he couldn’t bear to put away with everything else he didn’t use. He remembered the girl he fell in love with, so head-over-heels that he didn’t think he could ever love anyone again. He remembered finding out she was his soulmate, and wondering why the universe gave him someone so amazing. He remembered her kissing him, in the heart of Triad, with Malivore threatening to rise right below them. He remembered her telling him she loved him, and him saying the words back with an ease he never thought he could.

And then he remembered Josie, his current girlfriend who he cared a lot about. The girl who was there for him after Malivore, who understood the gaps in his memory. Who helped him navigate his new world where people believed _he_ had defeated Malivore all on his own. Who grew with him, who he helped keep grounded when the darkness in her wanted to escape. Josie, who he thought was his first girlfriend.

He couldn’t stay with Josie and forget Hope. She was his soulmate, and they were bound to be together again at some point. But he couldn’t just immediately break up with Josie and get back together with Hope. He and Josie now had history, had inside jokes and memories. She needed him, like he needed her. She helped direct his focus to what needed it, and he calmed her down when her magic wanted to explode outwards.

Landon couldn’t hurt either of them. But being with Josie would hurt Hope, was hurting her now. Being with Hope would hurt Josie.

He turned on his heel, almost running to his room. He needed to think.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Penelope is back in Mystic Falls. Everything starts to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a lot longer than I planned on it being, but I hope you enjoy it!

Penelope Park was at dinner when she remembered. 

She ignored the worried stares her family gave her as she squeezed her eyes shut, bracing her  hand against her forehead. Memories flooded back into her head, things she had forgotten. Hope Mikaelson was all she could focus on as the process passed, two minutes of an overwhelming amount of information overloading her brain.

Hope had never been someone Penelope loved, but she hadn’t hated her either. She respected that the tribrid knew what she wanted, and did what she needed to to make it happen. She didn’t let anyone step on her, or push her around. That’s what she wanted for Josie. But Hope also didn’t let anyone in, didn’t let anyone help. She was stubborn, which frustrated many people around her. To a point, Penelope didn’t mind. But Hope would rather use her magic, or leave, then talk something over.

“Penelope? Are you okay?”

Penelope managed to look up. “Yeah, just… remembered something I’ve been forgetting for a year. Something happened back at Salvatore. I…” She wanted to elaborate, but knew that over a dinner with their guests, wasn't the time. She also wanted to go back to Salvatore, see Josie. Penelope wished she had kept her diary with her at moments like this. However, she still believed it served a better purpose with her ex. “May I excuse myself for a moment? I think I need a bit of fresh air.” She smiled sweetly, knowing that it would be the only way to get what she wanted at the moment.

“Of course, sweetheart,” her mother smiled back. “Jack can go with you.”

Penelope tried not to roll her eyes. The son of their guests was not someone she wanted around. He always seemed to be around her, and she was not having it. She had made it clear she wasn’t attracted to men, but he didn’t seem to be phased by it. However, she knew she had to play the “good girl,” as her mother was counting on her.

Without waiting for Jack to stand, Penelope left the room as quickly as she could without running. She ducked out of the first door she came to, exiting into the gardens. She slipped between the trees, keeping still as she watched Jack walk past. As soon as she was sure he was far enough away, she cast a spell to keep herself hidden.

She quickly made her way towards the fountain, sitting on the bench nearby. She could hear Jack calling for her, but made no effort to alert him to her location. She would have to, in a few minutes. Her mother would be expecting her back soon.

Whispering a spell, Penelope was relieved when the pain in her head slowly dispersed. Something big had happened, back at Salvatore. Why else would her new-old memories be revolving around Hope and her old school?

Penelope didn’t have many contacts at Salvatore, anymore. She had hoped Josie would stay in touch, after reading her letter, but the brunette hadn’t.

There were a few witches that Penelope heard from occasionally, but nothing on the regular. She had gotten updates about some of the monsters the school had faced, about friendships that had formed and broken apart.

There was nothing of substance that came out of the letters, leaving Penelope frustrated. While she didn't expect constant contact from anyone, she had hoped for more.

So she reverted to the spell she had been using over the past year. As nice as it was to be in an all witch school, Penelope found herself missing the antics the wolves and vampires would get into. She had developed a spell that would allow her to project a room, or a person, from Salvatore in front of her, including sound. She had to pick carefully, as if she used it too much, someone might figure it out.

After reciting the spell, Penelope waited until the magic began to shimmer in the air in front of her. “Show me _Hope Mikaelson_.” As much as Penelope wanted to check on Josie, it had been Hope who had been erased from her memories. It was Hope whose soulmate was currently dating Josie.

The air shimmered, the image of Hope’s room projected in the air. There were three beds, which made Penelope curious. All rooms were designed to house two students of the same race, with the exception of Hope, who had always had a single room. As the only tribrid, there had been no one else like her to room with. The second exception had been Landon, who was rooming with his brother. Even as the only one of his kind, he had family.

On the beds were the familiar forms of Hope and Lizzie, sitting across from each other. Next to Hope was a girl Penelope had never seen before, and next to Lizzie sat a guy Penelope also hadn’t seen before, holding the blonde’s hand. The blonde leaned against him, looking exhausted.

“You know he’s going to come looking for you,” the unknown girl began speaking. “Now that he remembers you.”

“I won’t be here when he does,” Hope responded, fiddling with the leather bracelet that was back on her wrist. Penelope remembered that the tribrid used to keep it covered, hiding her soul mark. It had been revealed after Hope finally let Landon in. To see it covered again allowed Penelope to understand how much things had changed. “My aunt wants me to go visit her. In New Orleans. I leave in a few days.”

“Hope—” the guy started.

“Ethan,” Lizzie warned. “Seeing her family is a good thing, even if we want her to talk to Landon sooner, rather than later.”

“I know, I know. I’m glad she’s visiting her aunt. But I do wish she would face this. It’s her choice, but she can’t avoid it forever.”

“My brother’s right,” the other girl shrugged. “You don’t have to talk to him today, Hope. Just… when you’re ready, alright?”

Hope reluctantly agreed. “I’m… going to go now. I’m not ready to see him yet. Just… I don’t know. Just don’t kill him.”

“Ugh, fine,” the unnamed girl sighed. “But I can yell at him, right?”

“Oh, if you get to yell at him, Machado, then I do, too,” Lizzie interjected. 

“Keep an eye on your soulmate and sister for me,” Hope looked at Ethan. “I think you’re the only sane one here.”

“Maya can be a little much, that’s for sure,” Ethan snorted, ducking behind Lizzie to avoid his sister from hitting him. “But yeah, I will.”

Hope smiled tiredly, before ducking out of the window, turning into a wolf mid-leap. Her three friends watched her, until she disappeared into the trees.

* * *

The vision changed, allowing Penelope to watch as Hope, in wolf form, ran into the woods. Deciding there was nothing much left of interest watching Hope, as the interesting stuff was back in her room, the witch swiped her hand through the projection.

Not wanting to risk using the spell again so soon, Penelope tried to sort through the little information she had gotten. Lizzie had found her soulmate, Maya and Ethan (whoever, or whatever they were) were Hope’s new friends, and Hope and Lizzie were actually getting along.

And the unnamed “he” had to be Landon. The phoenix would want to talk to his soulmate, now that he remembered her. The talk would change everything. Especially between Landon and Hope, and Landon and Josie, and Josie and Hope.

Penelope wished she could be there for the fall-out, but she was stuck in Belgium for a while longer. For all she knew, she’d be spending the next few years there, at least until she was able to have her independence from her mother and go wherever she wanted. However, Penelope knew that her mother’s boss wanted someone to go back to Mystic Falls, since that's where Salvatore was. And since the Parks were known there, it would be easier if they were the ones who moved back. Hopefully, by the time she got there, she would understand what had happened.

“We have to go back.” Jack’s voice cut through the silence. 

Penelope sighed, tucking her necklace back under her shirt. She kept the charm hidden, not wanting others to know. She removed the cloaking spell from her, before speaking. “Alright.” She knew he was right. She had gotten more time than she thought she could have gotten away with. She followed him back into the house, mind far away. In Mystic Falls.

* * *

Six days had passed since their memories had been returned.

Lizzie, Maya, and Ethan had bid Hope farewell two days prior. They had watched as their friend boarded a bus, headed for Louisiana. It would be good for her, to spend time with family, away from the drama that was Salvatore.

It seemed no one noticed her absence, or if they did, said nothing about it.

Lizzie felt more alone than usual. Her best friend was out of the state, she was still on weird terms with her sister, and the Machado siblings had spent the past few days at home. They couldn’t spend as much time at Salvatore as they wanted to, otherwise their mom might get suspicious.

However, Lizzie put on her game face, and tried to act like everything was okay. Maya and Ethan would be stopping by in an hour, and she could spend that time getting stuff done.

The time went by a little too slowly for her liking, but three o’clock finally came around. Lizzie made her way to the front gates, where she could see her friends walking to it on the other side, bickering.

After letting them in, they made their way through the building, only stopping in the Great Hall to grab some snacks on their way out to the docks. Lizzie had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes as she realized who was sitting nearby. Josie, MG, Landon, and Kaleb. Rafael would usually be there, but the wolves were currently training.

The three tried to avoid the group, but upon hearing Hope’s name mentioned, Lizzie became more deliberate with her motions. She had wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, but now she wanted to know what they were saying about her friend.

“Where is Hope, anyway?” MG asked. 

“No idea,” Josie shrugged. “Typical of her to run away when things get tough.” She couldn’t stop the mean words from leaving her mouth. She was jealous of Hope. The tribrid was her ex-boyfriend’s soulmate, was always saving the world, was now pretty much best friends with Lizzie. Josie’s life, the one that had become normal over the past year, was now in ruins.

Lizzie whirled around upon hearing the comment. She glared at her sister. She understood Josie was upset that her life had been turned upside down with everyone remembering Hope, that the tribrid and Landon had been in love. Lizzie couldn’t blame her for that. But insulting Hope like that was not okay. The blonde now understood the way her sister felt about protecting her against others, especially Penelope.

“How dare you?!” Lizzie’s voice was loud. She was well aware that everyone was staring at her, but she paid it no mind. Instead, she kept her focus on the people that were supposed to be her friends, _Hope’s_ friends. She could tell Ethan and Maya were behind her, trying to decide when to step in.

“I—” Josie started, attempting to defend herself.

“No, listen to me. This is not about you. This is about Hope. She was in Malivore, alone. She knew what she was risking, but she never expected to come back. But she did. She did everything to keep us safe. Yeah, so maybe she plays the martyr card a lot. She’s good at it. But she did it because she cares about us. She didn’t have many friends growing up. Her parents are dead. She’s been alone for a long time. She didn’t really trust anyone until us, until we opened up to her. And now, besides me, Maya and Ethan, you’re shutting her out. So excuse her if she wanted to go spend a little time with family. Just because her parents are dead, doesn’t mean she doesn’t have family. She has her aunt, Freya. Who was the only one, besides me, who ever expressed any relief to have her back, or any concern of what she had gone through. I know I could do better. I’m not going to deny that. But look at how little you care! If I am the one who cares the most, _me_, someone who used to hate her, and once wished to live in a world without Hope, then you guys clearly are the problem, not her. She is my best friend, and I will not let you get away with hurting her.”

Lizzie’s anger was clear to everyone in the room, even without her magic causing objects to lift off the ground. Her emotions were easier to manage with Ethan nearby. It made her appear even more deadly, as her anger almost appeared practiced, a warning, like the calm before the storm.

With one last glance of disdain, Lizzie left. Maya and Ethan both glared at the group, before following the blonde out.

* * *

Landon hated the sinking feeling in his stomach. Lizzie was right. For a brief moment, he had been relieved to see Hope again. He had been thankful she was alive, in front of him. But then he got angry that she didn’t tell him, without listening to what she had to say.

Without acknowledging the rest of his friends, he left the table silently, heading for his room. He knew someone would follow him eventually, but they were all still processing what Lizzie said. It was odd to hear the blonde speak on behalf of Hope so strongly, but the circumstances changed the way the two interacted.

The phoenix knew he had to fix the mistakes he made. He couldn’t undo his year with Josie, not that he wanted to. He still didn’t know exactly what he wanted, which is why he and Josie weren’t together at the moment. But he did know he had loved Hope in a way he had never loved before, and she was his soulmate. He needed her around.

So when he got to his room, he found the box of things he had stashed away, including the bracelet Hope had given to him. He debated pressing it, but didn’t want to drag Hope away from her family when there was no real emergency. Instead, he put it on. He had no idea if she even still had hers, but he felt like he needed to put in on either way.

Landon sat down on the edge of his bed. He wanted to talk to Maya, or Ethan, or even Lizzie, to hear the other side of the story. They had spent the last year or so with Hope, being there for her when no one else was. He needed to know from them what she had gone through. He doubted they would want to talk to him, but he had to try.

He made his way towards Hope’s room, hoping to find the trio there. The twin’s room was ruled out, as it was also Josie’s room. Plus, Maya stayed with Hope on the rare occasion she stayed the night. Ethan was now allowed, by Dorian (as he was the only one employed by the school to know), to stay there, too. After being revealed as Lizzie’s soulmate, and as someone who was able to help Lizzie when she needed it, he was given a bed at the school. Putting it anywhere else would probably make the current headmaster suspicious. He already knew something was going on, having spotted the humans once or twice, but hadn’t said anything yet. Hope’s room was safe, away from prying eyes.

Landon knocked on the door, hoping that Ethan was the one who opened the door. Lizzie would likely just yell at him again, and Maya, though human, could be scary when mad. Even though Landon knew he couldn’t die, he wouldn’t be surprised if Maya and Lizzie could figure it out if he ever hurt Hope again. Ethan on the other hand, while one of Hope’s closest friends, and an athlete who could easily crush him, seemed like he’d do the whole, crossed-arms impassive-face angry act, listening as Landon tried to explain. It was easier to deal with than being yelled at.

Just his luck that it was Maya who opened the door.

She stared at him for a minute, blinking at him.

He opened his mouth to speak, when she cut him off.

“So, lover boy decided to show up.” Maya was normally a nice person, but in that moment, she didn’t even bother to put on a pretense. “Finally realize that you’re not the only one who’s hurting? I don’t fault you for dating Josie when you had no memory. That’s not your fault. But after, you did nothing. _That _is your fault.”

Landon felt cornered. He was right about Ethan doing the whole crossed-arms impassive-face angry act, guarding the door. Landon wasn’t getting out of this conversation. And Lizzie was poised, hand hovering over the bedside table, ready to siphon magic if she needed to. He sat down hesitantly on the edge of one of the beds. It should’ve surprised him to see three, but he had figured that Maya and Ethan needed a place to stay when they spent the night.

He also figured that their headmaster knew nothing about it.

“I… You’re right,” Landon admitted. He kept his gaze locked on his hands, running his thumb over the bracelet. “I should have let Hope explain. I just… she was gone. And I didn’t even know it. Then she comes back, and I felt drawn to her, but I had no memories of her. I only saw her face when I died. So I died. Again and again. To see her face again, to see if I could figure out who she was. I never could, but when she actually showed up, I knew she had to be important. But I was with Josie by then, and I didn’t want anything to change. Life became stable. Josie… she suspected there was something going on. She was jealous of Hope. I know Hope could tell, too, so she tried to stay away. Sometimes she acted like we barely knew each other, even though I could tell something was off. Why else would I see her when I died? But I didn’t push anything. I was happy with Josie, with our friends. I was still trying to help Raf, but there didn’t seem to be anything we could do. Then he was back, because of Hope. Raf… fell for her, again. Since I was with Josie, and had no idea who Hope was, I… tried to help him. I thought that even if none of us were soulmates, we could be happy, at least for a little while.”

He paused, taking a deep breath. Landon hadn’t let himself think everything through when he first started seeing Hope before he died. He had been happy with Josie. However, once Hope was back in their lives, things changed. Josie kept asking to see his soulmate mark, not because they were soulmates, but because she wanted to know if it was anyone they knew. If someone could waltz in with Landon’s mark and “steal him away.”

After getting his memories back, they all remembered who his soulmate was, as their group of friends had seen his tattoo. After he and Hope had realized, their friends had wanted to see. The latin of his mark literally meant: “Never lose Hope,” which he had thought referred to the idea, rather than a person. Until he met her. A girl, whose name was literally Hope. The crescent moon and cloud, almost identical to the Crescent Wolf Pack birthmark, except in red. Blood red, for the vampire part of the tribrid. The latin, as she was also a witch, and spells came from the language. And hers was a phoenix feather, symbolic of his heritage.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do now,” Landon admitted. “I… I don’t think Josie and I can be around each other right now. There’s too much hanging over us, as long as Hope continues to be in our lives. But I can’t be with her right now, either. I can’t just move on from Josie like that. And… Hope and I are different people now. I don’t know her like you three do. You’ve been there for her over the past year. So… I don’t know. When Hope gets back, I know I’ll have to talk with her. Let her tell me what it was like. Then… figure it out from there, with both her, and Josie. And hopefully, it’ll all work out, at some point. Because Hope _is_ my soulmate. And I did love her. She loved me. Malivore might have erased that, but now that my memories are back… I remember what it was like to love her, to be loved by her.”

Lizzie stared at him, analyzing him. She needed to make sure he was telling the truth. The situation was complicated, and involved two of the most important people in the blonde’s life. “Be careful, Landon,” Lizzie warned. She used his name, instead of a nickname, to let him know she was serious. “Don’t break my sister, or best friend’s, heart.”

“I’ll do my best.”

* * *

“Penny, honey.”

Penelope rolled her eyes at the nickname, but put down her spell book. She looked up at her mother, who was standing in the doorway. “Yes?” She raised her eyebrow.

“Pack your bags. We’re going back to Mystic Falls next week. My boss needs me there through the end of summer. I already reached out to the headmaster of Salvatore, and you can attend for this semester. It’s lucky we’re only a week in, so it’s no trouble. Are you excited to see everyone again?”

“Thrilled,” Penelope deadpanned. While she did want to go back to figure out what had happened since she left, she wasn’t super close to anyone. She had gotten comfortable with her new school, and the way they could all understand each other, because they were all witches. Penelope didn't want to lose contact with all of them the way she did the witches at Salvatore. There were a few at her new school that she actually would want to keep in contact with. “I’ll be ready.”

Her mother smiled at her. “Thank you, sweetheart. We’re leaving Monday morning at seven. Don’t worry about packing everything. We’ll be back. I’m going to go let Amanda and Jack know. Maybe you should let your friends know you’re coming back?”

“What friends?” Penelope muttered under her breath. Upon her mother’s questioning look, Penelope faked a smile. “Sounds good.”

* * *

The ten days that Hope spent in New Orleans had been the best ten days she had in the past year. Even though she had friends in Mystic Falls, it had been a while since she had seen her family. She had missed Freya especially, as of her remaining family, the older woman was who Hope felt the closest to.

Even though Hope knew Salvatore was probably in chaos, everyone trying to put together the pieces of what had happened in the past year, she tried not to think about it. She needed to put some distance— emotionally, mentally, and physically—between her and the school. She had exhausted herself, trying to keep everyone safe and happy, from holding back everything she wanted to scream, from keeping the tears in and presenting herself as a confident and calm person.

In New Orleans, she could relax. She could forget about Malivore, about monsters, ex-boyfriends, and all the drama the returned memories might cause.

“Hope?”

“Yes, aunt Freya?” Hope looked up from the book she was reading. She was sitting outside, enjoying the cool breeze and sun that warmed her skin.

“I’m going to make some lunch. Do you want anything?”

Hope set her book to the side after sliding a bookmark in to save her place. “I can help you.” She insisted, even when her aunt tried to gently refuse. Hope wanted to spend time with her family, even if it was something as simple as making sandwiches.

Away from the pressure of Salvatore, and away from prying eyes and ears, Hope was able to talk through everything with one of the people she trusted most in the world. Hesitantly at first, Hope told her aunt about Landon, about Josie and Lizzie and Ethan and Maya. About the twisted web that came out of everyone forgetting her, then re-meeting her.

For the first time in a long time, Hope let herself cry, let herself scream, in the safety of her aunt’s presence. It was cathartic, and everything she wouldn’t let herself have in Mystic Falls in case someone she didn’t trust walked in on her.

Making the choice to come to New Orleans had been a good one, and Hope was thankful that though her friends wanted her to talk to Landon, they had completely understood she needed some time alone to process and finally heal. The day before she left Louisiana, she wandered around the streets, finding a few gifts to bring back to them.

Though part of her wanted to stay in New Orleans, she knew she needed to go back. Back to her friends, back to Salvatore and Mystic Falls High, and back to the chaos that needed to be fixed.

She kept busy on the bus ride back, even managing to sleep for a little. When she arrived at the station, she was pleasantly surprised to find Lizzie, Ethan, and Maya waiting for her. She let them hug her, happy to be back with them.

“We missed you.” Ethan smiled at her as he reached for one of her bags. “Glad you’re back, Mikaelson.”

“I thought Lizzie was going to go crazy without you around.” Maya was grinning, ducking behind her brother to avoid the blonde’s elbow.

“Not my fault the rest of the school isn’t interesting.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hope teased her friend. “It’s good to see you, too, Saltzman. Tell me what I missed.”

* * *

Monday morning came quickly, and Penelope was on a plane back to Mystic Falls with her mother.

The plane ride itself was uneventful, and Penelope used the time to work out what had happened in the past year using what information she had from the few letters she received, and what she learned thanks to her spell. There were gaps she wanted to fill in, and would hopefully be able to get out of someone once she was back at Salvatore.

An hour after landing, Penelope was facing the gates of Salvatore, her and her mother waiting for someone to meet them. Penelope had been expecting the headmaster (the new one, since she knew Dr. Saltzman didn’t work there anymore), but they were greeted by Dorian instead.

After a quick discussion, Penelope’s mother kissed her on the forehead, before getting in the car they had rented from the airport, courtesy of her mother’s employment. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

Penelope nodded, waving once, before turning to follow Dorian towards the school and up the familiar path.

“You’ll be staying in the same room you had before. I trust you can get yourself settled. If you need anything, feel free to ask. I’m going to have to leave you here.”

Penelope thanked him, watching him go. Leaving her bags in the hallway for the moment, she followed the loud voices she could hear coming from nearby. They led her to the main room, which she opened after a moment of hesitation, not knowing what to expect, or how everyone would feel about her being back. Pushing past her insecurities, she stepped inside.

Penelope stared at the fight happening in front of her.

She knew a lot had to have changed over the time she had been gone. However, she didn’t realize what had changed. Josie and Lizzie, even when fighting, used to always be seen together. Now, Lizzie was usually seen with one of the two humans, or with Hope. Landon and Rafael were brothers, and were constantly seen joking around, or getting into heated arguments about keeping each other safe. Though they still cared about each other, things seemed strained. Likely due to the fact that Rafael had fallen in love with Hope, again, when they had no memories. Kaleb and MG had started getting closer after it was discovered Landon was a phoenix, but now she could see how close they were. They were brothers, now. 

But the sight in front of Penelope was different from everything she knew. Kaleb and MG were bickering with each other over homework in the corner of the room, trying to act as if they weren’t interested in the fight happening in the middle of the room. 

Lizzie and Josie were yelling at each other. Which in itself wasn’t new, but Penelope knew that Lizzie’s magic usually caused objects in the room to float, responding to her emotions. This time, everything was still, in its place. Hope was trying to slink away from the fight, but Josie pointed at her as she continued arguing, while Lizzie looked ready to punch her sister for what she was saying.

Landon was standing awkwardly in the corner, as if he was trying to decide if he should intervene or not, and if so, on whose behalf. Rafael was nowhere to be seen.

“Whoah,” Penelope put her hands up as she stepped towards the arguing twins. “What is going on between you two?”

At the sight of her, everyone turned, stopping in mid-action. 

“Oh great,” Lizzie mumbled under her breath. “The Wicked Witch is back.”

Penelope ignored her, focusing on Josie, who was staring at her with a weird look on her face. She looked confused, horrified, guilty and almost relieved. Knowing it wasn’t the time or place to say anything, Penelope simply raised an eyebrow instead. “Nice to see you, too, Queen of Mean. Jo.”

Josie took a step back, moving towards where Landon was standing. She faltered in her steps a moment later. Josie felt trapped. She was in a room with her friends, her sister, Hope, her ex-girlfriend-who-was-back-from-Belgium-who-was-also-her-soulmate-but-was-unaware-of-it, her ex-boyfriend who was Hope’s soulmate, and a few of her classmates.

She wanted to run, but knew she couldn’t. Instead, she let her fears spill out of her in a bitter tone. “Great, you’re back.” Her face curled into a sneer. “Why are you here? We’ve been doing just fine without you.” Josie hated the shock she saw in her soulmate’s eyes, hated the pit in her stomach and the way her sister was looking at her. She _had_ missed Penelope, but would never admit it. They had been on uneasy terms after breaking up. That had partly been because of Lizzie’s presence, but Josie knew better by now than to blame her twin for everything. Josie and Penelope both had a hand in the breakup.

But it would be Josie who would need to extend the olive branch. Even though Penelope left, she had given Josie the letter, and the notebook. It had been a lot for the witch, as she didn’t like being open with her thoughts and emotions. It was something that Josie had once had the privilege to see. In the quiet hours of the night, on the days they managed to sneak out to the lake, Penelope would open up, tell Josie about her doubts and insecurities. Which meant that while Josie knew the best way to comfort her soulmate, she also knew the best ways to hurt her.

“Josie.” Penelope’s voice was softer than usual. She looked questioningly at her, before her mask slipped back on as she looked at the others. “What the hell happened since I left?” This question was aimed at Lizzie, who had made her way over to Hope. “Besides me, and I’m guessing all of you, forgetting Hope until not too long ago, and Hope’s soulmate dating my ex?”

Lizzie rolled her eyes. “It’s been a hell of a crazy year, Park. And now you show up, which just makes it more crazy.”

“Why are you back?” Kaleb interjected himself into the conversation. “Thought you weren’t coming back.”

Penelope shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. “Mom got asked if she could work here until summer, so here I am.”

The fight that had been going on when she walked in seemed almost forgotten. Lizzie and Josie were still standing apart from each other, wary looks on their faces, but there was no more screaming. There was still some tension in the air, but it dispelled when Lizzie reached for Hope, leading her and the humans out of the room. Josie then sighed, and walked out of the room, too, but turning to go the opposite way. With the sisters gone, the room felt lighter, and everyone resumed what they must’ve been doing before, laughter and joy filling the room.

“So.” Penelope turned to where MG and Kaleb were sitting, ignoring Landon who was awkwardly standing in the middle of the room. “I have a feeling you two had a front row seat to everything that’s happened. Care to fill me in?”

* * *

When Hope returned from New Orleans, Landon knew he needed to talk to her. He watched her walk up the path to Salvatore, trying to gather the courage to face her. She was a force to be reckoned with. She was strong, and powerful, and sometimes a little intimidating. But around the people she cared about, around the very small handful of people she truly trusted (a group Landon wasn’t a part of anymore), she was insecure, open, happy, and willing to put her guard down.

Landon wanted that back. Hope was important to him, would be even if she wasn’t his soulmate. But she was. They were bound together, their differences mirroring each other. When Landon closed his eyes and focused, he could remember what it was like before Malivore, when he and Hope were together, and he had loved her more than anyone or anything he had ever loved before and more than he thought he could ever love anyone else.

He wanted that feeling back, but he also knew it would take time. Any trust between them was gone.

Which made it harder to face her. Talking to her would make it real, would solidify how damaged their relationship had become. Landon hoped it wasn’t to the point that it couldn’t be fixed.

So instead of facing her, he waited. He let her spend time with Lizzie, Ethan, and Maya. He let them put a smile on her face, one that brightened up the room, made her eyes sparkle. She looked happy, happier than he could remember seeing her look in a long time.

For a few days, he’d follow her with his eyes whenever they were in the same room, trying to relearn what he could about her. She wasn’t always around, as she still had responsibilities at Mystic Falls High, but when she was, he was drawn to her. He tried not to make it obvious. He didn’t want to hurt Josie, didn’t want to weird Hope out.

Lizzie noticed, though. Landon thought she was going to call him out on it, but then Penelope came back, and the witch drew the attention away from him. It was a welcome distraction, until Maya called him out on it.

With a promise to talk to her after the next flag football game, since Hope was spending the next two days at Mystic Falls High since she was on their team, Landon tried to come up with a game plan of what to say. Deciding that little comments when they were playing against each other to strike up her competitive side was one of the better options he came up with, he planned to end up guarding her.

Which should’ve gone as planned, except she had gotten away from him, and as he ran to catch up, he fell, spraining his ankle. No one noticed for a couple minutes, all the attention on the two powerhouses of the Mystic Falls High team. They were making their way through Salvatore’s team easily, since magic was once again, against the rules. Hope made room, twisting mid-run to duck out of the way, causing two of the Salvatore players to tumble over each other, giving Ethan the opportunity to score.

Ethan beamed at Hope, wrapping his arms around her as she congratulated him. She smacked his shoulder, rolling her eyes, before smiling at him. He responded with a wink, before shrugging at Lizzie. The three of them on the field always made for an interesting game, even more now that they were friends, and Lizzie and Ethan discovered they were soulmates. Lizzie never wanted Hope or Ethan to go easy on her, but it still annoyed her when they scored with the help of each other. After the game, she’d be proud of them, congratulate them, but it was different on the field.

Landon found it interesting to watch the trio. While he knew that Lizzie and Ethan were all in with each other, Ethan would sometimes wink at Hope, or playfully bat his eyes, always getting a small smile and rolled eyes in exchange. The two had a friendship Landon didn’t exactly understand, but had to admit was a good thing. There was never any jealousy on Lizzie’s end, to the point that on rare occasions, she would join in.

He was shaken out of his thoughts by MG noticing him on the ground, calling a timeout to help him off the field and get a replacement. He noticed Hope look at him, but Landon couldn’t figure out what she was feeling. He looked away from her, cheeks feeling warm, as the game started up again, Kaleb in for him.

Landon smiled as he watched Hope push her way through her opposition, making an opening for Ethan. Everyone was aware what a good team they made, and tried to separate them, but it never worked. Hope was fast, and Ethan was good. He put all his focus into the game, and Hope used it to let loose. Her hair was in two braids, and Maya had painted a black line under her each of her eyes.

Hope was slowly starting to spend more time back at Salvatore, but she still had a place at Mystic Falls High. She was on their flag football team, her speed and strength making her one of the MVPs, alongside Ethan.

Landon watched her, unaware that Josie was watching him watch Hope. He let himself forget the past year, and tried to imagine what this would be like if he and Hope were still together, even if she spent half her time at Mystic Falls High with humans. He would be watching his soulmate, his girlfriend, dominate the field with one of her best friends, smiling and laughing in a way she wasn’t all the time. It let her stay connected to the human part of her, made her feel like she fit in more.

She would greet him afterwards, no big show of affection, because she wasn’t that type of person, but she’d let him hug her. When they were back in her room, away from prying eyes, he’d kiss her, run his finger over the mark on her wrist that connected them to each other.

It was nice to think about, but it wasn’t reality.

Reality was watching Ethan and Hope work together as a team so well, that they didn’t have to say a word. It was spotting his ex-girlfriend, who had once been something of friends with Hope, on the other end of the field, glaring at said girl. It was Hope and Lizzie going from almost enemies to best friends. It was Ethan and Hope playfully, jokingly, flirting, while Lizzie rolled her eyes, good-naturedly. It was Maya braiding Hope’s hair by the fireplace, of the four of them inseparable. It was Landon, sitting on a bench with a sprained ankle, and Hope’s bracelet on his wrist, watching everything change from the outside.

Rafael came to sit next to him, hesitantly, and a foot away. The werewolf didn’t know how to approach the fact that he had fallen, yet again, for Landon’s soulmate. It was different, as they hadn’t remembered that, that Landon had been with Josie, and Hope was the mysterious stranger. But now their memories were back. Rafael tried to make himself scarce when Hope, Landon, and Josie were in the same room, or in near vicinity to each other, not wanting to add himself to the already complicated love triangle.

“You okay?”

“Eh, the ankle isn’t too bad.”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

Landon hesitated. Raf was his brother, and he trusted him with his life. But their lives had gotten complicated since Rafael turned, Hope become a more permanent part of his life, and Landon found out he was a phoenix. 

“I don’t know,” he responded honestly. “I know I’ve hurt both of them. I know I’ve missed a lot, and I know I still need to talk to Hope. I need to talk to Josie and smooth things over. I can’t forget about the time I was with Josie. It was good. But Hope… she’s special. I want her back in my life however she wants me. I just… need an opening to talk to her, to hope she’ll listen.”

“She’s your soulmate.” Rafael shrugged, turning his face away. “Whether she listens now, or sometime down the line, I’m sure you two can work something out.”

“I hope so,” Landon muttered. “I hope so.”

* * *

Penelope started a new journal the day she returned.

In it, she recorded all the information she was able to gather about the past year, about Malivore, about Salvatore. She also used her spell when she felt she could risk it, and added the information she got by spying on people, rooms, or locations. She also used it to keep up with her other school, not wanting to be out of the loop when she inevitably went back.

She had a lot on Hope, Landon, and Josie, which wasn’t surprising. They had been at the center of everything. The notes were meticulous, color coded, and protected by a spell so no one else could read them.

Penelope snuck around, for once thankful she wasn’t contact with many people at Salvatore, so people wouldn’t call her out. However, having someone in the middle of everything who might tell her something she didn’t already know could be helpful. Josie was out of the question, as the siphoner was avoiding Penelope at the moment. Landon… was too wrapped up in whatever he was thinking about, and Penelope didn’t really care about him as much as the two girls involved. So Hope was the best option, as there was no way Penelope was going to even consider Lizzie with their history.

But to do so, Penelope had to slowly make her way into Hope’s life, preferably when none of her friend were around. It was easy enough to avoid the humans, as they weren’t around much since school was ongoing. Lizzie would be the only issue, but when the blonde was waved down by MG about something, Penelope took her chance.

She had to be careful about it, as she didn’t want to make Hope annoyed. She had to pick a safe topic.

“Heard you were the human high school’s MVP in flag football.”

“Uh, I guess. But that really goes to Ethan. He’s the one hoping to get a sports scholarship. I just help him out.”

“Like fixing his arm?”

“Shh,” Hope shushed her. “People aren’t supposed to know about that. Come to think of it, how do _you_ know about that?”

Penelope shrugged. “Heard he got injured, that it was likely magic. And then, he was healed, miraculously, only two weeks later. There was only one witch that could’ve done that. The one who goes to his school, the only one who might care enough that it would put him out of commission.”

“Yeah, fine. I fixed his arm. But not completely. I can’t draw attention to us. He’s fine now, and while doctors are surprised, they let him go.”

“So you and the humans are close, huh?”

“I guess you could say that.” The two began walking, as their next class was going to start soon. Penelope was thankful they had the same class, so she could keep up the conversation. 

Hope ducked her head when she saw Landon heading their way, turning her face towards Penelope. Even though she and the other witch were never that close, they had worked together in the past, and the conversation was preferable to whatever Landon wanted to say. Hope knew she had to face him soon, but she was not in the mood to do it between classes. “They were the only two I couldn’t keep at an arm’s distance, because stubborn runs in the Machado family. Maybe that’s why Ethan and Lizzie work so well.”

“So they _are_ soulmates.” Penelope smirked at Landon as he passed, fully aware he wanted to talk to Hope. However, Hope would rather talk to her. “That must’ve been a surprise.”

Hope nodded as they walked into their classroom. “Yeah, it was, but it’s been good for both of them.” They sat down at the same desk, opting to be partners for the day. Usually, both of them sat alone, determined to do things themselves. 

Class went well, and as they were packing up to leave, Hope glanced out the door, spotting Landon, probably waiting for her. She scrunched up her nose, trying to decide what to do.

“Hey, Penelope?”

Penelope turned towards Hope. “Hm?”

“I’m trying to avoid Landon today. I’m so not in the mood to deal with anything today. But he’s waiting outside the room for me. And since Lizzie, Ethan, and Maya aren’t here, I was wondering if you could help me avoid him. It worked earlier.”

Penelope smiled, pleased. If she could gain Hope’s trust by helping her avoid Landon when she couldn’t handle the conversation, and maybe by being there after when Hope needed to talk, she would take it. “Yeah, let’s convince him we’re all of a sudden best friends or whatever. For all he knows, we’ve been in contact this whole time.” 

Hope thanked her. Striking up a conversation about what they had just covered in class, the two made their way out of the room, pretending not to notice Landon standing outside, waiting for them. They walked past, heading towards the common room, where they disappeared into the crowd.

Landon frowned as he lost sight of them. Spotting Lizzie, he waved her down, going after her when she tried to walk past him. “Okay, I know you’re not my biggest fan—”

“That’s an understatement,” Lizzie laughed.

“But you’re close with Hope, and I wanted to know when Hope and Penelope got so close.”

Lizzie stopped in her tracks. “What did you just say?”

“Hope and Penelope,” Landon repeated. “I tried to talk to Hope between her classes, but she was with Penelope. So I was going to try again after her class, and the same thing happened. Hope didn’t look at me, and Penelope just looked smug.”

Lizzie muttered under her breath. Grabbing Landon’s arm, she started marching towards the common room. “You’re sure Hope was willingly talking to the Wicked Witch?”

Landon nodded, letting himself be dragged by the blonde. He knew better than to fight her. “I didn’t know they were close. Before Penelope left, I never saw them around each other very much.”

“They’re not close. Or at least they weren’t. I mean, they weren’t on terms like I am with Penelope, but it’s not like they were friends, either.”

“Then why—”

“No idea, but you’re going to help me figure it out. There’s no way I’m going to let Penelope stick her nose into everything. I’ll get Hope away, or I’ll pick a fight with Penelope or something. And you… talk to Hope. Today.”

Landon nodded. He knew he needed to get the conversation over. No matter how it went, it needed to be done.

* * *

Hope was painting when she heard the knock on the door. Sighing, she went over to crack it open, peering through to see who it was. With another sigh, she opened the door, letting Penelope waltz in, taking a seat by the window.

“Landon’s coming to talk to you. Thought you might want some support from someone who hasn’t been involved in all this chaos.”

Hope raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms. “So you thought you’d be right for the job?”

“Hey, you asked _me_ for help earlier. If we’re trying to convince him we’re friends so it’s not weird if we’re around each other if you need me as a buffer between you two, we’re gonna have to spend time together when it’s not expected.”

Hope huffed, but let it go. Penelope had a point, no matter how annoying it was, since the tribrid just wanted to be alone. “Whatever. When he gets here, tell me about your new school or something. It’ll look like we’re catching up.”

“Excellent.” Penelope smiled. While her plan had originally been to gain information, she was starting to actually care. While she wouldn’t know who her soulmate was for a few more years, and didn’t know if she had met her or not, she was interested in the whole Hope and Landon situation. As well, coming back to see a different side of Hope, one who was more willing to ask for help, even if it was only from three people, caught Penelope’s attention. She was more inclined to like this Hope, and though she wouldn’t admit it to anyone, was starting to think it would be nice to be friends with the tribrid.

Hope rolled her eyes, but turned back to her painting, allowing Penelope to stay and scribble in her journal. They remained like that for another twenty minutes, before there was another knock on the door.

“I’ll get it.” Penelope stood up. She made sure to be mid sentence about her new school while Hope continued painting when she opened the door. “—and Sam decided, for some reason, that turning her roommate into a chair was a good idea.”

Landon stood in the doorway, unsure what to do next. He expected Hope to be alone, or at the very least, not with Penelope, since Lizzie said she’d distract her. “Uh, Hope?” He tried to ignore Penelope for the time being. “Can I talk to you? Alone?”

Hope looked over to Penelope, unsure what to do. While she didn’t want Penelope to know everything, as they weren’t friends, even though they had gotten along just fine since the witch returned, she also didn’t want to be alone in a room with Landon just yet.

“Hope can put up a spell to give you two privacy when it comes to what you’re talking about, but you’re not kicking me out, lover boy.” Penelope reclaimed her spot by the window. Looking over at the two, still awkwardly standing in the middle of the room not looking at each other, she waved her hand at them. “Go. You two need to talk.”

Hope nodded, before casting a spell around her and Landon that would make sure outsiders couldn’t hear what they were saying. Crossing her arms, she stared at him, daring him to say the first word.

He just stared at her for a minute, taking her in, before he hesitantly began to speak. “I, uh. I should’ve done this sooner. I never really let you talk about the past year. I just got angry and upset after I remembered you, because you didn’t tell me. But that wasn’t fair. You did what you thought you needed to, to try and keep all of us safe. I just… You were familiar, in some way. When I died, I saw your face. So, I died. Again and again, because I wanted to figure out how I knew you. I should’ve just asked you, let you know I cared. Or at least not have treated you the way I did after we got our memories back. I loved you, more than anyone, Hope Mikaelson. I know we aren’t the same people now, but I’d like to get to know this new you.”

Hope just stared at him for a moment. Taking a deep breath, she began to speak. “You’re right. You don’t know me anymore. Everything I’ve gone through, in Malivore, here, in Mystic Falls, changed me. My magic is stronger, my friends are different. I made my choice when I came back, to be someone no one knew. I didn’t want anyone to know. That was _my _choice. I never expected Lizzie to remember. We became friends, and I met Maya and Ethan at Mystic Falls High. I didn’t want to get attached, but stubborn runs in their family. They found out about me because of a mistake. I wasn’t careful enough, but I was lucky enough that they stood by my side, and didn’t tell anyone about Salvatore. That changed everything. They’re the ones who encouraged me to try and create a new connection to Salvatore, instead of staying away. I helped them in the ways I could. When Josie broke Ethan’s arm, I helped fix it. I wasn’t going to let his future be ruined by magic.”

Landon nodded, knowing better than to interrupt her. He did wince, however, upon the mention of Josie breaking Ethan’s arm. He knew the human was lucky Hope cared about him, or the future he had been hoping for would be gone.

“This school is not quite mine anymore. Mystic Falls High left a lasting impact. Maybe I’ll be here full time again in the fall. But right now, I’m happy with my arrangement. I like being in a normal school, where no one knows who my family is. I have three people who I trust. I have relationships that will never be the same again. Josie and I will never be the same again. Penelope and I might actually become friends. The people I trust most are Lizzie, who once hated me, and two humans. You might be my soulmate, but we can never go back to who we were before. Malivore… it changed me.”

“I know.” Landon waited until he was sure she was done. “I know things are going to be different. But I also know that they can be fixed. Made better. Josie… as much as she might have cared about me, has a soulmate. And as much as I cared about her, _you _are my soulmate. I want to believe that we can find even footing again. I know it will take time, but Hope. I need you in my life, however you want me.”

“I can’t just let you back in. It’s going to take time. Whether that’s weeks, months, or years, I don’t know.”

“I know. And I’ll put in the work, and I’ll wait until you’re ready.”

Hope couldn’t help the small smile that pulled on the corner of her lips. It was so familiar, the way he was looking at her. Earnest, wanting to know more about her. Like when they met for the first time, when she met him again when she came to find Raf. Like when he found out she was his soulmate. He looked at her, fascinated. It wasn’t with the love he once looked at her with. But it was still with interest, and respect. So against her better judgement, she reached over, running her fingers across his upper arm, where she knew his mark was. She watched as his eyes fluttered closed, warmth blossoming under her touch. A perk of a soulmate touching the other’s mark. It connected them in a deeper way, one that held promise and trust.

Hope closed her eyes, too, letting herself bask in the same moment Landon was. For a minute, everything was calm and peaceful, and she could forget the past year. Until she forced herself to pull her hand back, watching as Landon opened his eyes. He stared at her, earnest. He understood her unspoken words. She was willing to try.

Landon glanced at the leather bracelet still around Hope’s wrist, covering her mark. His face fell slightly, but he didn’t look surprised.

Hope looked away, covering the wrist with her other hand. “I, uh…” She nodded to where her painting stood, unfinished. She pointedly ignored Penelope, who had just glanced up from her journal to look at them.

“Uh, yeah, I have, uh… Raf wanted to talk.” Landon winced at how awkward the sentence sounded, coming out as more of a question than a statement. He stood up and started for the door. “I, uh, guess I’ll see you later?”

“Mhmm,” Hope nodded as she moved forward, hand resting on the door to close it behind him when he left. As soon as he was down the hall and almost out of sight, she closed it, closing her eyes as she leaned against it. Taking a deep breath, she let herself sink to the ground. She had almost forgotten about Penelope, until a hand came to rest on her shoulder. Shooting up, Hope calmed when she realized who it was. With a wave of her hand, she took down the spell.

“You okay?” Penelope looked almost concerned, her journal laying abandoned on the floor. “I only caught the end of whatever you were saying. Couldn’t hear you, but whatever you two were saying gave me second hand embarrassment.”

“Yeah, uh… Everything’s fine.” Hope didn’t even try to fake a smile, knowing Penelope would call her out on it. “Or will be, maybe. Can you… uh… Can you find Ethan? He came with Maya to help Lizzie with research.”

“Sure,” Penelope agreed as she moved to grab her journal. “Can’t say Lizzie will be happy to see me, but I’m guessing your name might give me enough of a pass.” She sent an unsure smile towards the tribrid, before slipping out the door.

As Hope waited, she took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. When she calmed enough, she stood up, flopping down onto her bed, arm thrown over her eyes. She stayed like that until there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

She didn’t bother getting up, knowing that it was Ethan. She heard him walk in, close and lock the door behind him, and sit on the edge of Maya’s bed. She appreciated that he didn’t try and talk to her right away. It’s why she had asked Penelope to send him, instead of Maya or Lizzie. As much as she loved them, they would want to hear what happened, while Ethan let her wrap her head around everything first.

“Landon and I finally talked.” Hope knew that Ethan had to have known that, since Penelope likely told him so he’d know it was important, but it was the easiest place to start. “I’m glad it happened, but it took a lot more out of me than I thought it was going to. I… I trust he meant what he said. But nothing is going to be easy. He…” She was unable to finish her sentence as she screwed her eyes up tight, trying not to cry, but knowing, in the end, it was a battle she was going to lose.

“Hey.” Ethan’s voice was soft as he moved to sit next to her. He wrapped his arms around her, letting her curl her body towards his. “Let it out.”

Hope, feeling safe with one of her best friends, one she thought of as _family_, even if she never said it, at her side, let herself cry.

* * *

“What do you want?” Lizzie stared at Penelope, disdain clear in her features.

Penelope held up her hands. “Okay, take it down a notch, Saltzman. I’m here because of Hope.”

“What about her?” Lizzie put down her book. When it came to her best friend, she was all ears. Even though Penelope had interrupted her and Maya’s search for information about the Merge, this was important. Spotting Maya’s confused look from across the room, Lizzie waved off her concern.

“She and Landon finally talked. I sent your soulmate up to talk to her because she asked me to. But we’re going to have to keep an eye on Hope and Landon.”

“We?” Lizzie snorted. “Since when are you on Hope’s side?”

“Since now,” Penelope shrugged. “I’m actually getting to know her now. I like this Hope better than the one I knew before I left. She doesn’t run from problems like she did anymore. She trusts you, and has the humans. And this whole situation is one of a kind. Now, I’m fully aware you’re not Landon’s biggest fan. And since both your best friend _and_ your sister are his exes, it’s even more complicated. Especially since I’m also your sister’s ex. But I figured we could find some sort of even footing when it comes to our resident tribrid.”

Lizzie stared at the witch, trying to decide if she was being sincere.

“Hey, if you, someone who once was very vocal about how much she didn’t like Hope, is now one of her best friends, why can’t I find some sort of common ground with her?”

Sighing, Lizzie crossed her arms. She didn’t like it, but Penelope was right. It could also be helpful to have the other witch on their side, since she had resources they didn’t. It might also annoy Josie, and since the sisters weren’t on great terms, that thought didn’t bother Lizzie as much as it might have. “Fine, Park. You have a deal.”

* * *

As the next few days went by, Josie was confused by how well her ex and Hope seemed to be getting along. Penelope and Hope were spotted together multiple times, from walking together in the hallways, to going into Hope’s room. It became even more odd when Maya or Ethan joined them on the weekends, falling into conversation with the two.

But the final straw was Penelope and Lizzie talking to each other, willingly and without yelling at, or insulting each other.

Josie tracked down Kaleb and Rafael, inviting them into her room to talk, knowing that her sister wasn’t around at the moment. They looked confused, but followed her anyways.

“Okay, so have any of you noticed that Penelope seems to have become friends with not only Hope and the humans, but Lizzie, too??” Josie started pacing back and forth, hands gesturing wildly as she talked. “Like, I didn’t expect her to fit back in so easily, and with them at that. It’s just like Penelope to waltz back in here like nothing happened. But how she got Lizzie to talk to her is the weirdest thing. They pretty much hated each other.” Josie felt like she had to choose between the two when she had been dating Penelope. Now, she knew that wasn’t true. If Penelope really cared, she would make an effort, and same with Lizzie. But she didn’t have either of them, now. Penelope had been gone for a year, and now that she was back, she barely seemed to notice Josie. And Lizzie had her own group of friends, and her soulmate, which while nice because Josie had time to herself, made her realize how much she was used to her twin being around.

“Yeah, it is weird,” Kaleb nodded. “But they’re their own people.”

Josie turned toward Rafael, hoping he would say something. He usually offered an outside opinion, and the witch trusted him. However, it was a little awkward, since he and Landon were like brothers, but Raf had fallen for Landon’s soulmate more than once, and Josie had dated Landon. He was the extra link in the complicated love triangle, that didn’t become a square just because Rafael avoided any room that had all of them in it. He turned towards training and his pack instead. Josie understood why, but she also wished she could do the same thing. She had cared a lot about Landon, but their relationship was over now. Had been, for about a month. She was learning to heal, to find something stable. She still had Raf, and Kaleb, and MG. She still had her classes, and the familiar teachers and classmates.

It still hurt, seeing Landon across the room, and knowing she couldn’t just go up and get a hug. Realistically, she knew they would have probably broken up in time even if Hope hadn’t returned to Salvatore, to their memories. They weren’t soulmates, and while it wasn’t uncommon for unmarked pairs to stay together, it also wasn’t commonplace. Also, Josie’s whole future was uncertain, unless a way to survive the Merge was found. As much as she had come to care about Landon, she had also loved Penelope. Having the other witch back brought back memories, and Josie was reminded of the old days. She had no idea if Penelope had any idea they were soulmates, or if the other witch even cared anymore or not.

She was shaken out of her thoughts by Rafael shrugging. “I’m with Kaleb on this one. Maybe they finally talked through everything, and came to terms with whatever it was that had them at each other’s throats.”

Josie felt it was more likely that either Lizzie or Penelope was using the other for information, but didn’t say anything. They wouldn’t believe her without proof, so that’s what she was going to try and get.

* * *

Landon knew that trying to reestablish something with Hope was going to be hard work. Though she had gotten better at trusting, it still wasn’t something that came easily to her.

He smiled awkwardly at her every time he saw her, and started sitting closer to her. Never with her, or next to her. But closer. They had to get used to each other again, and that wasn’t going to happen if they didn’t interact.

She would nod when she met his eyes, before turning back to whatever she had been doing. The process was slow going, and they had yet to do something together, even in a group.

Until Maya had had enough, and had arranged an “invite-only” movie night in their room. Hope had no way of getting out of it, so she resigned herself to the evening. Ethan and Lizzie were on his bed, arguing over what movie to watch. Maya was bouncing around, making sure they had everything, and ready to greet the guests. And Hope was sitting on her bed, dreading the next couple hours. She liked spending time with her friends, but she knew Landon had been invited. She was hoping that Penelope would show up first, so the witch could sit with her, instead of the phoenix. Two to a bed.

Hope sighed in relief when Penelope _was_ the next one to show up. The witch raised an eyebrow as she walked in, but without speaking, seemed to understand what Hope wanted. She made her way over, plopping down next to Hope. However, since they had moved the three beds closer together so they could spread out more without falling off the beds, Hope was left next to the empty spot on Maya’s bed.

Hope glared at her friends, but couldn’t say anything, since Landon arrived. He waved sheepishly, before taking the spot Maya pointed out. He smiled at Hope, but made sure to give her enough room. He didn’t want to overstep any boundaries.

Lizzie won the argument, and she looked smug as Ethan put the movie on, rolling his eyes. However, they settled into the movie, curled up under a blanket. With the lights off, the only light came from the setting sun coming in the windows.

Hope snuck a glance towards the bed in the middle. Maya was propped up by a bunch of pillows, and looked content as she snacked on popcorn. Occasionally, she would make a comment, usually yelling at something the characters were doing on screen. Landon looked a bit tense, but as time passed, he relaxed more. He added his own two cents a couple times, and was able to laugh at what Maya was saying.

On Hope’s other side, Penelope was quiet, but engaged with the movie. She nodded when one of the characters said something she agreed with, and scowled when they didn’t.

Hope tried to ignore Landon on her left, hugging her pillow tight to her chest. She pulled her legs up, and tilted them towards the witch on her right. She would have preferred to be by one of the other three, as she trusted them, and they were her friends, but she knew she needed to face everything head on. She had done enough running in her past. If she wanted her life to go a certain way, she had to work for it. Hope was well aware that Landon had been making a better effort than she had been, even though they had only been small things. It was her turn. So she stretched her legs out in front of her, shifting so she was closer to Landon than she was Penelope. Hope kept her gaze firmly on the screen as she felt Landon look at her, hesitating, before moving an inch closer.

The next comment he made, all of the previous having been directed to the room in general, was directed at her. He made sure to look at her, waiting for her response. Letting her guard down, Hope responded, and was rewarded with a smile from him. As much as a small part of her wanted to throw caution to the wind, and let him back in, the rest of her was warning her not to. Not yet. 

Despite that, they started to banter back and forth about everything they found to be stupid about what the characters were doing, not noticing the smug look on Penelope’s face, or the knowing glances exchanged by the other three. Even though things would never be the same, they were able to forget for the remainder of the night, to the point that Hope allowed herself to rest her head against his shoulder, eyes closed. In the comfort of her closest friends, the dark room, and comfortable beds, she felt at ease.

* * *

Movie night had been the turning point in their relationship. Though they weren’t immediately attached at the hip, they were seen having conversations and smiling at each other. Hope allowed herself to laugh around him, but still felt more comfortable when one of her friends was nearby.

Penelope found it interesting to see how quickly the change affected those around Hope and Landon. Lizzie seemed willing to give Landon a chance, since Hope was, too. Ethan and Maya were more friendly, but were still protective over Hope. MG and Kaleb were starting to talk to Hope more often again, and though Hope was cautious around them, as they hadn’t been talking much recently, she wasn’t running. Rafael was still trying to avoid Hope and Landon when they were together, and Hope when she was alone, since he still felt guilty for falling for her again, but he offered her smiles from across the room if they locked eyes. Josie, as expected, was avoiding the two, not wanting to see them learn to be around each other again. Penelope couldn’t blame her. She knew what it was like to see her ex move on.

Which brought Penelope to her own situation. One that Hope had brought up, due to Penelope’s part in Hope’s soulmate drama. Penelope didn’t know who her soulmate was, and wouldn’t for a few more years. She was okay with that, as she wanted time without fate dictating anything. She would come to love her soulmate eventually, and that was what mattered. However, there was the Josie situation. Though they had broken up over a year ago, Penelope’s heart still flip-flopped upon seeing the other witch, against her wishes. She was good at hiding it, which was the upside. But apparently, she wasn't as good at it anymore.

Hope had cornered her with a knowing look in her eye. “You still like Josie.”

Internally panicked, Penelope was relieved that she managed to appear unfazed. She raised an eyebrow. “And what gives you that idea?”

“We're more similar than you’d like to admit, Park. You may hide things well, but I know what to look for. You going to do anything about it? You’re stuck with us for a couple more months.”

“Unfortunately.” Penelope rolled her eyes, turning to try and leave the room.

“You don’t mean that,” Hope grinned, well aware she was right. Penelope had been back for two months by then, and she was finding her own place within their group of friends. When she was’t doing homework, or whatever secret things she liked to get up to, she could often be spotted with Hope, or Ethan and Maya if they were around. She would have conversations with MG and Kaleb, and challenged Rafael to meaningless competitions that were bringing him back into the group. There would still need to be a conversation about him feeling guilty, as no one blamed him, but that would be for another day. Sometimes she and Lizzie were spotted practicing spells out in the gardens. A lot was changing, but there was still work to be done. The students were trying to bring Dr. Saltzman back, as no one really liked the new headmaster, and they felt there was something suspicious about him. Also, there were still bridges to mend, especially when it came to Josie.

Lizzie was trying, knowing that if they were going to find a way to stop the Merge, they would need each other. Even though they didn’t spend much time together besides when they were doing research, it was progress. They still had a lot to talk about, like Ethan and Hope, but were taking it one step at a time.

For her part, Hope tried to smile at Josie when she saw her, but knew that it was awkward for the both of them. They weren’t ready to talk to each other yet, but they were able to be civil towards each other if they had to, though they still tried to keep away from each other whenever possible.

Penelope didn't know if it was better to act like she hadn't gone to Belgium and nothing changed between her and Josie since then, or avoid her in order to get rid of her remaining feelings. So she kept it somewhere in between. If she was put in a situation with Josie where she had to talk, she acted like nothing changed. However, she stopped trying to be everywhere the other witch was, or know what was going on in her life.

This was something that Josie noted, making her unsure as to where they stood. Part of her wanted to let Penelope back in. She was her soulmate, but Josie had been hurt enough, by both the witch and Landon. Also, Penelope was befriending people Josie wasn’t on the best terms with.

So she watched from afar, playing the role that Penelope once held. She watched as the witch seamlessly reintegrated with the school, almost as if she had never left.

Penelope was fully aware that her ex was watching her, but she tried to ignore it. Looks weren't going to solve anything. Someone had to make the first move, and since Penelope had made the last move, granted before she left over a year ago, it was Josie's turn. So she waited, let herself be easy enough to find that if Josie wanted to talk, she wouldn’t go searching then give up, but not easy enough that she wouldn’t have to work for it.

They side-stepped each other for the next to weeks, before Penelope had had enough, and snuck out with Hope to the Old Mill. In the dim lighting of the candles they brought with them, Penelope allowed herself to open up a little. She ignored the smug look on Hope's face when the brunette admitted she still “might” like Josie.

“Yeah, I could tell,” was how the tribrid chose to respond. “Don’t worry, though. I don’t think anyone else has figured it out yet. Well, I think maybe Ethan is close, but he hasn’t known you long enough.”

“Whatever, Mikaelson. What do I do?” Penelope didn’t like asking for help, much like Hope, but she knew she needed to. She didn’t have to handle her emotions and problems by herself anymore. She had friends.

“See, you’re not asking the best person. Maya had to force me into the same room with Landon. Honestly, I don’t know. I’m not that great at relationships. But I do know…” Hope sighed. “Communication is important. Things didn’t start getting better until we started talking again. He needed to hear what I had to say, and he had things he wanted to tell me. You just need that push. She needs that push. If it really means that much, you’ll get there again.”

The two friends stayed at the Old Mill, wrapping themselves in blankets as it began to rain. Lightning lit the sky as the rain pounded against the roof. Faintly, through the trees, the could see the lights of Salvatore. That's where they spent the rest of the night.

* * *

The next couple weeks were spent rebuilding the relationships between Hope and Landon, and Penelope and Josie. Slowly, but surely, Hope and Landon were finding their away again, and even slower, but still making progress, Penelope and Josie were talking again.

It started with small comments in class, where any conversation they had couldn’t escalate into an argument. Penelope would be sitting at a desk with Hope or Lizzie, and Josie would be sitting with Kaleb or MG. They would borrow pens, or paper from each other. There would be no unnecessary comments or conversations.

It took weeks until they started greeting each other in the halls, brief nods of the head rather than words. A week after that, they would say hello, then be on their way. It would never be like before; too much had changed. But it could be better than it had been over the past year.

The hardest relationship to rebuild was Hope and Josie, but that didn’t surprise anyone. Their relationship had never been perfect, and only took a turn for the worse over the past year. Landon made sure not to be in the room if both girls were, knowing his presence would just make the tension between them worse.

However, he was starting to spend a lot more time with Hope. It was nice, getting to re-know her. She was still guarded, closed off about certain things that had happened to her, but she would smiled as she told him about what she, Maya, and Ethan got up to in the human world.

Landon was always in awe of how happy she could be, despite all the bad things she had been through. Sure, she had hard days, but her smile never failed to light up his day. He was still not over the fact that she was willing to give him another chance to be in her life. Without realizing it, he started standing closer and closer to her, wanting to be as close to her as she would let him. He wrote another song about her, about the fire in her eyes, and the warmth in her laugh. He caught himself gazing at her as she ran across the field, Ethan at her side, or when she and Lizzie would be huddled together, flipping through books in the library. His eyes would find her in a busy room, trading sarcastic comments with Penelope, or having her hair braided by Maya.

He wanted to run his fingers through her hair, wanted to tuck a strand behind her ear as she looked at him the way she did her friends. With trust. With the belief they would be at her side, that they cared about her the way she cared about them. He wanted to be able to hug her when he wanted to, to keep her close to him without her shying away. He wanted to tangle their fingers together, and kiss her cheek, her forehead, her nose, her mouth…

Landon wanted to love her again. To love her freely, openly. Accepted.

But he still had work to do.

There were days Hope pulled away. She would stick close to Lizzie, the blonde glaring at anyone who tried to bother them. Lizzie didn’t care that Landon and Hope were getting better at being around each other; she was fully on Hope’s side. If she needed to yell and glare at Landon, she would gladly play the bad guy. Same with their friends.

Penelope would gladly hex anyone who got too close, a sickeningly sweet smile on her face as she did so, looking the picture of innocence. It was never a horrible hex; she was never found guilty, as she always used a spell that could pass as a natural event. But the person who was hexed would know. It had been Landon a couple times, but other classmates had been affected, too. Nothing more than a bloody nose, or a few oddly placed bruises, since Hope had told Penelope to _not_ hex anyone. As if Penelope was going to go along with that, but she stuck to things Hope could never prove she was behind.

Maya had a sharp tongue, and was never shy to threaten reporting to her mom. Or to use physical force that she had learned, as her mom had required her children to learn self-defense. For a human, Maya had a mean right hook. She had only used it twice; on a human who had thought too highly of himself and tried to harass her, and a new werewolf who tried to make a move on Hope.

Ethan, on the other hand, was much more passive. But his “I’m-disappointed-in-you-stare” was more than enough to set people on edge. No one wanted to see him angry.

Hope would roll her eyes when any of them acted up. She was thankful they were willing to help her if she needed it, but they could get a little extreme. However, when they changed discussion topics away from something she didn’t want to talk about, or convinced Landon she needed alone time, she would smile at them.

As much as she was enjoying getting along with her soulmate again, part of Hope was doubtful. Anything could happen, and their relationship could end up in shambles again. Hope didn’t want to know how she would handle losing him, again. She had never stopped loving him, and she knew he cared about her, but there was a voice in her head that tried to convince her otherwise. That if she let him in, she would just be hurt again.

Hope was used to being alone. Until recently, she didn’t have anyone she considered a close friend. Her remaining family all lived miles away, and she was the only tribrid in existence. Letting in Ethan, Maya, and Lizzie had been hard. There were still times she worried they might leave. But they kept proving they wouldn’t. She was finally starting to believe it. Penelope was different. They were much more similar that either of them realized. They weren’t best friends, but there was trust growing between the two of them. Penelope might leave at some point, physically. She was likely going to go back to her new school at the end of the semester, but Hope knew that they could keep their friendship going anyways.

She wanted to let him in, though. 

* * *

The end of the year dance was coming up.

In three weeks, the school year would end. In two, they would have the annual dance. The students at Salvatore liked to go all out, and those who had met their soulmates, would go with them.

Lizzie had already planned on bringing Ethan. Penelope, since she had no idea who her soulmate was, and wasn’t in a place to go with Josie, had invited Maya. MG, Kaleb, and Rafael were going as a group, choosing to spend time together instead of with a date. The past year had strained friendships, and they decided to work to keep theirs together. Josie had decided to go with some of the other witches. She needed time to work on herself. She had spent most of her life trying to do what others wanted or expected of her.

Landon and Hope went by themselves, but promised to spend time together. They also promised each other a dance. They were friends again, but anything more would still take time. However, they were both happy with the progress they had made recently. Everything was starting to fall back into place.

Hope laughed as she stepped away from Maya, excusing herself. The human had been regaling a group of witches about the shenanigans they got up to Mystic Falls, and it made Hope happy to see how well her friends were fitting in with the magical world.

Penelope made her way to where Hope was standing, back against a wall. The rest of the students were mingling, snacking on the food laid out on the tables.

It was a celebration for the end of the year, finals done and summer beginning.

“He talk to you yet?” Penelope asked as she took up the spot next to Hope. She wanted to know if Hope and Landon talked about how they were going to handle the summer. Their progress was steady, and she knew neither of them wanted it to falter. However, Hope was going to be spending part of the summer in New Orleans with her aunt.

“Yeah,” she replied. “He wants to meet me at the Old Mill in an hour.”

“Where’s lover boy now?”

“Over there,” Hope gestured with her head. “With Raf.”

Penelope spotted the two, flailing around. While Rafael could dance well enough, Landon was another story. Both Hope and Josie had tried to teach him, but it hadn’t stuck with him. If he had someone dancing with him, he could follow if they led. On his own, he looked like the blown up figures seen in front of car dealerships.

But the rest of their group was spread around the room. Lizzie was with Ethan, their heads bowed towards each other as they danced. Josie was with MG and Kaleb, and Maya was with two witches by the food.

Hope and Penelope watched them in silence for a minute. Bonds had been tested over the past few months, ever since everyone’s memories had been returned. Friendships had been formed, relationships broken up. But now, they were okay. Things would never be the same, and Hope and Josie’s friendship with each other, and with Landon, could never go back to where it had been. However, they were all able to be civil with each other, working carefully on building their friendship back. The whole group had found each other again, and now, even Penelope found herself being one of them. Dr. Saltzman was back, and for once, it seemed like everything was calm.

Penelope and Hope were joined by Maya a minute later. The three stood around, talking. Penelope found it odd that she considered two humans, Hope, and even Lizzie, as friends now. Even Rafael, MG, and Kaleb, while she had gotten along with them before, were more friends than classmates. Though she knew she would be going back to Belgium over the summer, she would have a couple more weeks before she had to leave. She was hoping to continue rebuilding her relationship with Josie. It was better, but there was still something the siphoner was holding back.

Until Josie felt like sharing, however, Penelope wasn’t going to question it.

* * *

Hope sat down, looking at the night sky. The Old Mill was lit by a bunch of soft white fairy lights, making it feel even more magical. She was waiting for her soulmate, who wanted to talk to her. For the first time in a while, she wasn’t worried about what he was going to say. They seemed to be on the same page. She was ready to slowly start letting him in again.

She smiled when she saw him, but made no move to stand up. Instead, she waited until he joined her, sitting down next to her. For a moment, it felt like nothing had changed. Like it was before Malivore, and she hadn’t been erased from everyone’s memories for a whole year. Hope let her head drop onto his shoulder, breath catching slightly when he tentatively wrapped his arm around her.

“I’m glad you came.”

Hope turned her face to look at him. “Of course I did.” She smiled softly at the dopey look on his face. Sighing, she pulled herself away, reaching forward to run her fingers across Landon’s arm where his mark was when he reached out for her, a frown on his face. “Now, what did you want to talk about?”

“Us. This summer. How we’re going to go about all this when you’re in New Orleans and I’m here.”

“Well, I’m guessing you and the others will have a lot of fun, and I’ll join you guys when I come back,” Hope shrugged. “It’s not like I’m moving away or anything. I’m just spending six weeks with my family. Though Aunt Freya wants to meet Lizzie, Maya and Ethan…”

Landon wanted to ask if he could visit her, too, but he wasn’t sure if they were there yet, so he decided not to risk it. Instead, he continued to speak. “We’re going to stay in contact, right?”

“Of course we are, Landon,” she reassured him. “Is that what you were worried about?”

Landon shrugged sheepishly. “Maybe? I just… I like having you back in my life.”

Hope stood up, offering her hand to him. He took it without hesitation, but there was confusion on his face. He let Hope guide his hands, both coming to rest on her waist. She proceeded to place her hands on his shoulder. Hope whispered a spell, and the music from the dance started playing around them. It was a slow song, and under the fairy lights, Hope looked ethereal. “I think you promised me a dance.”

“I guess I did,” Landon smiled as he bent down to rest his forehead against hers. They both closed their eyes, swaying to the music. It was the most intimate moment they had shared in over a year.

Hope knew it was finally the right time to start letting him back in. It didn’t matter that summer was coming up and she would be gone for a while. They were soulmates; they had made it this far, had gotten past Malivore. They could handle a little distance. It would be better this time. They were on the same page.

So before they went back to join their friends, Hope placed a gentle kiss on Landon’s cheek, letting him intertwine their fingers on the walk back.

Everything would work out just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter ended up being twice as long as I expected. To the point that I didn't include everything I wanted, so I decided to make this story three chapters instead of two. The last chapter will be the epilogue, and will take place during the summer. There'll be more focus on the romantic relationships.
> 
> Also, a lot of this chapter was written before a lot of season two aired, so I just decided to ignore canon, and write what I had planned out instead. Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> (yes i'm aware that hope's "two school" situation isn't very logical, but this is fanfic)


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